In Lunaria Academy's hall, after Grey and the others had been awarded for the successful dungeon raid, the students dispersed, chatting and enjoying snacks.
However, the second years clearly avoided interacting with the first years.
While this was going on, Dave—Vince's elder brother—approached with two of his friends and began taunting him. Eventually, Vince snapped and retorted angrily, making Dave shout in rage.
"Just because I didn't get recognition doesn't mean I'm pathetic. Please remind me—how many achievements have you gotten since stepping foot in this academy?" Vince shot back, fed up with Dave's taunts.
"How dare… How dare you talk to me like that, you useless being?!" Dave bellowed. The hall fell silent. Grey, who was chatting with Charlotte a few meters away, suddenly turned around.
"I guess it's been a while since I taught you a lesson," Dave growled as a metal sword materialized in front of him.
"Maybe a little bloodshed will teach you a lesson," he added, snapping his fingers. The sword shot toward Vince, who stood frozen in shock—until a loud bang rang out.
An individual with crackling lightning gauntlets now stood between Vince and the sword, his eyes burning with invisible flames.
"How dare you try to harm one of my friends?!" Grey shouted. A massive wave of mana burst out from him, stirring the wind and drawing everyone's attention.
"You!" Dave barked as Grey punched the sword away, standing firmly before Vince. Lightning surged around his boots and gauntlets, his brown hair whipping wildly in the gusts.
"How dare you attack my friend?" Grey repeated, the lightning around him intensifying, his eyes narrowing to slits.
"And how dare you interrupt me while I'm disciplining my younger brother?!" Dave retorted. By now, all the students had gathered to witness the escalating scene.
"Discipline? Or attempted murder?" Grey shot back.
"You know, we still have scores to settle from that day," Dave said, summoning a metal sword. His two friends joined him—one wielding an ice sword, the other crackling with lightning.
"Last time, the captain interrupted. This time, I'll f*ck you up properly. Let's see how you handle a 3-vs-1!" Dave roared, charging at Grey at tremendous speed.
"I promised… I promised I wouldn't lose any more family or friends. And you just tried to kill one of mine." Grey's voice was low but seething as the sword neared his face.
Bang! A split second later, Grey stood a meter away, his hands clenched.
"For that… your punishment is death!" he declared, pointing at Dave. A bolt of lightning shot out faster than light, slamming into Dave and sending him flying across the hall.
Just then, the lightning mage appeared in front of Grey and fired a close-range bolt—but Grey had already moved.
In a flash, he appeared behind him, slamming his foot into the mage and sending him skidding across the floor.
Grey then leapt into the air, dodging an ice shard. Before he landed, more shards followed.
To the second years' surprise, Grey hovered midair using wind magic. Raising his hand, he chanted, "Wind Magic: Aerius!"
A huge burst of wind erupted, blasting the ice shards down and shaking the room.
"Whoa! That first year is holding his own against three second years."
"I heard he beat Dave a few months ago."
"Is he the one though? Might be a different guy."
"Who else in the first years can do this? We're all watching the same thing, right?" another second year replied.
"Sh*t! What if Captain Amir was right about him defeating that dungeon boss?"
Hovering above, Grey watched as Dave wiped blood from his mouth and regrouped with his friends.
"I've learned my lesson from our last fight," Dave said with a smirk. His energy surged, his eyes glowing white, hair lifting with power, and body radiating.
"And that is to go all out! Breakthrough!"
With a roar, energy exploded from Dave as twenty metal swords materialized midair, all pointed at Grey.
"Let's see how you—" he began, but before he could finish, Grey launched forward with a sonic boom. A hole formed in the wall behind him.
Appearing before the swords, Grey unleashed rapid bolts of lightning and wind blades, shattering all twenty blades in seconds.
Still airborne, he pointed his hand at the trio, who stared in shock.
"You talk too much—and I despise that."
Thirty wind blades formed in the air.
They launched forward. Dave hastily raised a metal wall, blocking the attack, though the wind's backlash hit nearby students.
"You protected your front—but forgot your back," Grey said, appearing behind the trio. As he prepared to strike, the lightning mage whirled around and fired another bolt.
"You're a lightning mage, yet you're this slow?" Grey mocked. Twisting midair, he fired a gust of wind that sent the mage crashing into a wall.
Then he noticed twenty ice shards flying at him. He darted around the room, dodging expertly—until one grazed his cheek, drawing blood.
"Don't forget about me!" Dave yelled, summoning dozens of metal swords and spears and launching them.
Grey pushed himself to the limit, dodging all—until the last spear, which he caught by the tip. Twisting midair, he flung it back with immense force. Dave raised a wall, but it shattered on impact.
"Whoa, this is getting dangerous," Charlotte murmured as the shockwave stirred her hair.
"Grey! Enough!" Raze shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. But Grey ignored him, dashing at the lightning mage who prepared to attack.
Grey appeared before him and hammered a lightning-charged fist into his gut. The mage coughed blood and collapsed unconscious.
"Your turn," Grey growled, leaping to avoid another metal shard. But Dave suddenly appeared in front of him with a metal sword, swinging at high speed. Grey jumped back and fired a wind spear that Dave shattered with his sword.
"Impressive. I'll enjoy skewering you bit by bit! Let's go all out!" Dave roared, maniacal energy spilling from him.
"Has Dave lost it? Grey will kill him if he gets serious," Dante said, shocking the second years.
"What do you mean?" one asked.
"You didn't see what we saw in the dungeon," Lyra explained. "Grey destroyed a level 7 beast alone. If he gets serious, Dave stands no chance."
"And with how pissed he looks, I don't think he'll hold back," Charlotte added. "I'd hate to see what the captain will do when he finds out."
"Sh*t! Someone needs to stop them now!" a second year exclaimed.
"Good luck with that," Dante scoffed.
"You want to go all out?" Grey asked, clenching his fists. "Fine! Let's go all out!"
Energy surged around both fighters, ready to clash—
A tremendous sound echoed as the doors flew off their hinges. A man in Lunaria robes burst in, eyes wild with panic.
"Where is the captain?!" he shouted, drawing every gaze in the room—even Grey's and Dave's.
"Why? What happened?" Dante asked.
"Where is he?!" the man demanded again, more frantic.
"He left not long ago—said he had something to deal with," Lyra replied.
"Crap! This is bad—really bad," the man muttered.
"What happened? Spill it already!" Dante shouted.
"The village nearest us—it's being attacked by hordes of zombie-looking beings! And they're making their way here now!"
"Is this a joke or something? Zombies aren't real. Buzz off," Dave scoffed.
"I'm serious! They're alm—" The man was cut off by a thunderous explosion outside.
Congratulations to us guys! We just hit 200 Chapters🥳 And I think this author here deserves something right? Right guys?!😁 A whole 200 chapters of rollercoaster events that hooked you all till now with many more to come. Let's go legends! Off to the ✌️