The wind silently swept through the ruins.
Raizen stood facing the man who had just appeared.
His shadow sword was still in his hand.
Beside him, Kael, Selene, and Darian watched their opponent carefully.
The man did not look worried.
Not even slightly.
He looked at the four students for several seconds before letting out a faint smile.
“So the Central Academy is the one that sent you?” No one answered.
Kael stepped forward.
A faint electric light appeared around his body.
“You seem well informed.” The man calmly placed one hand on the hilt of his sword.
“I know enough about that academy.” Raizen narrowed his eyes.
He studied the weapon.
A long, perfectly maintained sword whose blade reflected the sunlight.
Something about the man’s stance caught his attention.
He barely moved.
Yet his body was positioned perfectly.
Every movement seemed calculated.
Kael looked at Raizen.
“Stay behind.” Raizen frowned.
“What?” Kael continued staring at the man.
“Just watch.” Raizen tightened his grip on his sword.
“I can fight.” “I know.” Kael smiled.
“But you need to see this.” Darian slightly nodded.
Selene stepped forward as well.
Kael looked at his two companions.
“The Elite Trio.” Darian calmly replied: “Together.” Selene raised her hands.
“We’ll show him why.” Raizen stepped back several paces.
He did not like standing on the sidelines.
But something told him that he needed to watch.
The enemy leader slowly drew his sword.
SHING.
The metallic sound echoed through the ruins.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Kael disappeared.
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning crossed the battlefield.
Kael appeared in front of the leader and launched a punch charged with electricity.
The leader slightly turned his sword.
CLANG!
The attack was deflected.
Kael immediately stepped back.
“Interesting.” He smiled.
“You’re fast.” The leader calmly replied: “And you’re predictable.” Kael frowned.
He disappeared again.
This time, he attacked from behind.
But the leader turned before Kael even reached him.
CLANG!
His sword blocked the attack.
Kael was pushed back.
“He anticipated my movement…” Selene intervened.
“My turn.” She raised her hands.
“Ice Spear.” Several ice spears appeared in the air.
They shot toward the leader.
He remained still.
Then— Slash.
One single attack.
The ice spears were cut apart.
Raizen’s eyes widened slightly.
He destroyed all of them with one movement.
Selene continued.
A massive wave of ice formed behind her.
“Frozen Wave!” The ice spread across the ground.
The leader jumped.
Darian was already waiting.
“Now.” He raised his hand.
“Gravity Field.” The gravity around the leader suddenly increased.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
For the first time, his expression slightly changed.
Darian gritted his teeth.
“Stay down.” The pressure increased again.
BOOM!
The leader was forced to place one knee on the ground.
Kael smiled.
“We’ve got him!” He charged.
Selene created several ice blades.
Darian maintained the gravity.
The three attacks arrived simultaneously.
But— The leader raised his sword.
His eyes became cold.
SHING!
A cutting wave crossed the air.
The ice was destroyed.
The electricity was dispersed.
And the gravitational pressure was pushed back.
The three students stepped backward.
Raizen remained silent.
An attack with a sword…
capable of pushing back Darian’s magic?
The leader stood up.
He looked at the three students.
“You’re better than I expected.” Kael wiped a little dust from his uniform.
“This isn’t over yet.” He looked at Darian.
“Now.” Darian nodded.
The gravity around the leader suddenly changed.
This time, it became much lighter.
Kael disappeared at an incredible speed.
Selene created ice platforms in the air.
Kael used the platforms to change direction instantly.
Darian controlled the gravity around him to increase his speed even further.
The leader was attacked from every direction.
CLANG!
BOOM!
CRACK!
The attacks continued.
Yet the man kept blocking.
One attack.
Two attacks.
Ten attacks.
Twenty attacks.
He never seemed to lose his calm.
His sword moved with incredible precision.
He never struck unnecessarily.
Every movement was used to block, dodge, or counterattack.
Raizen watched carefully.
He doesn’t waste a single movement.
He narrowed his eyes.
He isn’t fighting with strength.
He’s fighting with technique.
The leader dodged one of Kael’s attacks and immediately struck.
Kael barely blocked it.
CLANG!
He was thrown backward.
Selene attacked.
The leader spun.
One slash.
The ice shattered.
Darian increased the gravity.
The leader planted his sword into the ground.
“Sword Art: Severing Wind.” A powerful blade of energy crossed the battlefield.
Darian immediately raised his power.
“Gravity Wall!” The gravity slowed the attack.
Selene created a barrier.
BOOM!
The impact shook the ruins.
Kael was thrown several meters backward.
Selene dropped to one knee.
Darian was breathing heavily.
Raizen tightened his grip on his sword.
They’re in trouble.
He took a step forward.
But Kael raised one hand.
“Don’t move!” Raizen stopped.
Kael slowly stood.
“I told you to watch.” Raizen remained silent.
Kael wiped the dust from his face.
“You need to understand something.” He looked at the leader.
“We are the three strongest students in the academy.” Selene stood up.
“And we’re not finished yet.” Darian stood beside them.
“Together.” The three students advanced.
The leader smiled.
“That’s better.” They attacked simultaneously.
Kael opened the way with his lightning.
Selene controlled the battlefield.
Darian increased the gravity.
The leader dodged.
But this time, Kael suddenly changed direction.
Selene had predicted his movement.
Darian reduced the gravity around Kael.
His speed increased.
Kael appeared in front of the leader.
BOOM!
The attack connected.
The leader was pushed several meters backward.
For the first time, the three students had managed to force him back.
Kael smiled.
“We got you.” But the leader simply looked at the dust on his coat.
Then he raised his eyes.
His expression had changed.
Raizen immediately noticed.
He’s going to get serious.
The leader slowly placed his sword in front of him.
An aura spread around his body.
The pressure became much heavier.
Selene slightly stepped back.
Darian clenched his teeth.
Kael remained still.
Raizen felt his shadow tremble.
This power…
The leader looked at the three students.
“You have talent.” He raised his sword.
“But you’re still too young.” An immense swordsman’s aura filled the ruins.
Raizen’s heart began beating faster.
He had never felt such mastery of the sword.
The leader took one step.
The ground cracked.
Then a second.
Another crack appeared.
Kael clenched his fists.
“Everyone, stay focused.” The leader disappeared.
CLANG!
Kael blocked an attack.
But the impact forced him backward.
Selene tried to intervene.
The leader spun.
Darian increased the gravity.
But the man moved through the area despite the pressure.
Raizen watched every movement.
Every attack.
Every step.
He understood now why this man was so dangerous.
It wasn’t only his power.
It was his experience.
His precision.
His mastery of the sword.
The leader dodged Selene’s attack and pushed Darian away.
Kael attacked again.
CLANG!
The sword and lightning collided.
Kael was pushed backward.
The leader remained perfectly still.
Raizen gritted his teeth.
He’s dominating them.
The leader then looked at Raizen.
For a second, their eyes met.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Raizen felt something strange.
As if the man wasn’t looking at the others.
As if he had been waiting for something from him.
Then the leader looked away.
“Continue.” He raised his sword.
“Show me what the Central Academy has taught you.” Raizen remained silent.
His shadow sword slowly began to vibrate.
He didn’t know how long Kael, Selene, and Darian could keep fighting.
But he knew one thing.
This battle was far from over.
And for the first time since arriving at the Central Academy…
Raizen had met someone who could truly show him what it meant to become strong.
To Be Continued…
— Kurotsuki