Somewhere near the epicenter of the Academy final exam field…
A certain clearing resembled a graveyard.
Dead beasts and fallen recruits littered the ground, while the air reeked of blood and scorched earth.
Dom and Dae remained frozen, the hairs on their necks raised at they finally noticed the creature that had somehow crept up on them unnoticed.
For a moment, time itself seemed to slow.
Their heartbeats thundered in their ears while the shadowy presence watched them it complete silence.
Then, it straightened…
Dom's temple glistened with sweat as the massive, lizard-like beast rose to its full height. Black armor-like scales covered its hulking body and long tail, gleaming beneath layers of fresh blood.
This thing is huge… and I didn't even notice it. Dom thought, swallowing hard as he sensed the dense red aura bleeding from its body.
Beside him, Dae's eyes narrowed cautiously, one hand already hovering over his swords.
Meanwhile, the creature clicked ominously as it tilted its head. Through its glowing red eyes, the world appeared as a colorless void filled with shifting shadows--the trees, the corpses, the ruined battlefield.
But two lights stood out vividly before it.
Purple and blue.
The fluctuating auras that represented Dae and Dom respectively.
The moment their mana flared, intensifying that light, the beast shrieked.
The sound deafened the clearing as it vanished forward with terrifying speed, before slamming a claw into the earth hard enough to launch debris and shattered rock into the air.
Its glowing eyes scanned through the dust cloud before locking onto the blue shroud kneeling several feet away with a weaker yellow light cradled in his arms.
"Dom…" Sam mumbled weakly after spotting the blood running down Dom's shoulder.
Dom glanced at the fresh gash but ignored the burning pain as he turned back toward the advancing beast.
"Can you walk?" He asked while carefully lowering Sam.
Sam nodded weakly, quickly aware that he was slowing Dom down.
But the moment he tried to stand, his legs gave out beneath him.
Dom's attention shifted toward him for only a second--
--and the beast was already there, its shadow covering them instantly.
"Dominic!" Dae shouted from a distance, tension sharp in his voice as he noticed the creature's tail rising.
Sam froze once he realized the beast now towered directly above Dom.
But without hesitation, Dom shoved Sam away just as the tail crashed into his side with devastating force.
Blood burst from between his teeth as something cracked violently inside his chest before the impact launched him across the clearing.
His body tore through trees like a cannonball before vanishing deep into the forest with an explosive crash of wood and debris.
Sam tumbled safely across the ground, dazed but alive, while Dae's eyes widened at the trail of destruction left by Dom's body.
Then the creature's gaze shifted toward Sam, eyes locked onto the weak yellow cloud trembling before it.
Then, the injured recruit stiffened as the beast raised an arm, its claws gleaming beneath the sunlight.
"No," Sam whispered, horror evident in his eyes as the claws slashed downward--
--but a streak of violet lightning intercepted the strike, snatching Same away just before the claws gouged through the earth.
The beast growled and turned toward the purple blur, which slid back into the clearing, skidding to a stop to reveal Dae... with Sam, now nowhere to be seen.
As Dae pulled his swords free, his eyes drifted toward the shattered trees in the distance.
I seriously doubt Dominic survived that hit. He thought, his fingers tightening around the sword hilts as the implication of that dawned on him.
The beast advanced slowly, its immense mana pressing heavily against the clearing.
This must be one of the exam's A-class beasts…
Dae's eyes shifted briefly toward the corpses scattered around them.
So this is what killed them… It's too dangerous to fight it.
He spun his blades once before settling into a defensive stance.
Dominic's dead. Which means I've already failed the exam. There's no need to fight anymore. Should I run? Call for help?
Then, the beast shrieked again and the ground trembled as it charged.
In an instant, it loomed over Dae with its claws raised for the kill.
It's fast… too fast for something of its size.
Dae's eyes sparked with violet lightning as he leapt aside at the last possible moment, the claws tearing a massive trench through the earth where he had stood.
The creature pursued him immediately, its gigantic frame moving with terrifying speed as its claws repeatedly ripped through the battlefield.
Dae barely evaded each strike, his body just slightly faster.
The other recruits can't handle this. I might be able to escape alone. Call for Colonel Johan and the other trainers. But…
His gaze flickered briefly toward the bushes where Sam panted quietly, struggling weakly to stay conscious.
He needs medical attention. If I leave him here, he'll die or get killed by this thing.
Dae grunted as he blocked a sudden tail strike with crossed blades.
The impact hurled him through the air, the wind rustling against his clothes as he stared at the beast from an inverted view.
I can't carry him fast enough. It'll catch us. In that case…
He landed heavily before immediately forcing himself back into his stance as the beast charged once more.
Despite the rapidly approaching monster, Dae exhaled calmly while tightening his grip.
Then his eyes sharpened… focused on one single objective.
I have to weaken it.
Another claw strike carved through the forest floor, laying waste to everything within its path.
Dae slid past the beast again, electricity crackling violently along his swords.
Slow it down enough so we can escape safely.
With a burst of lightning, he shot forward. A thunderclap echoed through the clearing as he appeared at the beast's flank.
The creature reacted instantly, claws slashing toward him with lethal intent.
"Your speed…" Dae muttered while ducking beneath the attack, the wind whistling through his dark hair violently as his sword grip shifted. "…is no match to mine."
The sword tips scraped against the ground as purple lightning erupted around the blades.
The creature swung again--
--but Dae was already above it, the wind immediately trailing after his sudden leap.
"Form 15…" He said, spreading his arms as gravity pulled him towards the beast. "Lightning Coffin,"
He slashed with blinding precision.
Each strike cracked the air like thunder, covering the beast's body in dozens of cuts within a single second.
Dae landed gracefully behind it… but his eyes widened in disbelief.
His blades vibrated violently while the beast slowly straightened, its armor scales completely unharmed.
"Hard…" He muttered before narrowly dodging a tail swing that snapped a nearby tree like a twig.
He rolled aside and charged again, unleashing another slash, but his blade failed to pierce the creature's impervious armor. He then aimed for the joints… but the result was the same.
Clicking his tongue, Dae pulled away before the beast could retaliate.
Three minutes later…
Dae stumbled to one knee, chest heaving as his trembling grip tightened around his sword while the beast turned toward him once more, its armor still completely untouched despite his relentless attacks.
As it charged again, Dae forced himself upright, exhaustion from the past four hours finally catching up to him.
He barely avoided the next strike.
Sparks burst from his blades as he deflected another slash, then dashed backward--but the beast's tail thrust forward, the armored tip sharp like a spear, grazing his calf.
Dae groaned as he lost balance, his momentum dragging him harshly across the ground before he crashed into the corpse of a massive boar.
He barely rolled away in time to avoid the next charge, the earth trembling beneath the beast's heavy steps while its claws shredded the boar carcass like paper.
None of my attacks are working…
His thoughts faltered as he pushed himself back up, his injured leg trembling beneath him as it struggled to bear his weight.
As he barely deflected another strike, his eyes locked onto the beast's glowing red gaze.
I've seen this beast before… where?
He slid several feet back from the impact, dropping to a knee while his sword dug into the dirt to support him.
The beast slowly stalked forward, scales glinting beneath the sunlight.
Dae glanced at his wound and sighed heavily. "I'm not even sure if I can make it on my own anymore…" He muttered, forcing himself upright again.
The creature huffed ominously.
"Should I just run?" Dae groaned, his injured leg twitching as he tried to take a stance, and his gaze shifted toward the bushes where Sam's fading presence barely remained.
After a beat of silence, Dae then stomped hard enough to crack the ground beneath him.
The beast paused, tilting its head curiously as purple lightning erupted around Dae's body while his glowing eyes sparked.
If I leave this man to die…
He lowered his stance, ignoring the pain in his leg as electricity crackled violently across his blades.
I wouldn't be able to face my master.
With gritted teeth, Dae pressed both swords together, their tips aimed directly at the beast while lightning surged through the steel like a roaring cannon.
Mana flared around him, crackling through the air like static.
The beast shrieked and charged, its hulking form closing the distance in an instant.
But Dae vanished, leaving its claw to cut through empty air while he reappeared behind it, his aim unwavering.
As Dae's eyes burned with resolve, a flash of memory struck him…a blurry old man's face, smiling.
Then the image distorted… with that same man now lying in a pool of blood, his fluctuating eyes staring into nothing, dull and lifeless.
His grip tightened around the hilts.
"I can't die here." He whispered as he intensified his magic, blades steaming under the violent surge of electricity.
Meanwhile, hidden in the bushes, Sam weakly raised a trembling arm as he realized what Dae was about to do.
"No… don't," He uttered, his voice drowned beneath the thunder surrounding Dae's body.
"Viper's Bolt!" Dae shouted.
Lightning erupted from his blades, forming a snake-like projectile that lunged at the beast in a flash, its massive electrical fangs inches from engulfing it.
But in an instant, the beast's eyes glowed red.
Crimson patterns spread across its armored exoskeleton as the spell struck in a blinding burst of light and deafening thunder.
Dae's hyper-kinetic eyes widened as he watched his attack shrink--its deadly current rapidly absorbed into the beast's armor until not a single spark remained.
Barely a heartbeat later, the spell reemerged…twice as large and twice as fast, as it fired back toward its sender.
Unable to evade with his injured leg, Dae instinctively raised his guard, but even his lightning resistance was overwhelmed once the spell made contact. The current tore through his body like jagged heat through paper, drawing out a pained scream as the residual shock gouged the earth behind him as a deep trench.
When the light faded, the beast stood untouched, hissing with something close to mockery in its gaze.
Meanwhile, Dae dropped to his knees, steam rising from his now darkened skin and what remained of his uniform.
As he struggled to breathe, his muscles locked stiff from the residual current, his eyes widened.
I remember now…
He stiffened as he felt the familiar stomps of the rapidly approaching monster.
He managed to push himself to his feet, his blurry gaze perceiving the incoming shadow. But once he tried to move away, his body froze…twitching helplessly.
With a grunt, the beast smashed its head into Dae's torso with an audible thud.
The impact forced the air out of his lungs, his open mouth leaving trails of blood in the air as he was hurled across the clearing and slammed into a large tree.
He groaned as his body remained embedded in its thick bark, then slipped free moments later.
As he landed face-first into the ground, he groaned as his left shoulder popped out of its socket.
A Reflezard…
He gritted his teeth as he gripped his aching shoulder while coughing up more blood.
How could I forget?
His eyes widened as a shadow suddenly covered him, the following gust announcing the arrival of the fast monstrosity.
He looked up through his blood-stained hair to find the Reflezard staring down at him, hissing as it slowly raised its tail, the pointed spear tip glinting in the light.
A blunder…
He turned, finding one of his swords a few feet away, with the second nowhere to be found. He reached shakily for the weapon, but the hilt remained just beyond his twitching grip.
No… I can't die here… I can't…Not like this…Not yet…
A deafening shriek tore his attention back to the beast, just as its tail whipped forward, the sharp tip whistling loudly as it rapidly closed the distance.
Instinctively, Dae closed his eyes, bracing against his inevitable demise.
As memories flashed through his mind--both incredibly joyful and agonizingly heartbreaking, a single phrase formed in his mind.
Grandfather… I'm sorry…
--Then, a gust of wind and dust slammed into his face… followed by a pained human groan.
Dae gasped, his eyes flying open as he realized someone stood in front of him, gripping the Reflezard's tail and stopping its thrust.
"D-Dominic?" Dae muttered, recognizing the muscular frame and white hair immediately.
Dom gritted his teeth, blood covering one side of his face and his clothes torn in several places, including where he took that first hit… his large bruise visible beneath the damage.
As the ground cracked under his feet from the beast's weight, his fingers tightened around the muscular tail. He spoke, his voice heavy. "That fucking hurt, you bastard."
The Reflezard shrieked in response, the ground crumbling beneath them as it pushed against Dom's grip.
Dae blinked as he watched Dom match its bone-crushing strength, then narrowed his eyes, anger replacing caution.
"Forget it, Dominic. That's one of the A-class. We can't beat it." He said, pushing himself up, a hand cradling his dislocated shoulder.
"I don't give a shit," Dom grumbled, forcibly stepping forward and pushing the beast back.
"Don't be stubborn," Dae said, frustration creeping into his tone. "We'll all dead if we fight it. If you can move, get out of here and call fo-"
"I heard your scream!" Dom snapped.
Dae flinched as Dom looked at him, the blue aura eerily bleeding out of his body… the anger fueling his mana.
"You think I'll just leave you here? Let this thing go after what it did to you? It killed my fucking friends, Dae!" Dom added, the white of his eyes reddened with raw fury. "This thing needs to die."
The Reflezard shrieked, reinforcing its stance and pushing with all its might. The tail slid slightly through Dom's tight grip, its tip nicking the skin on Dom's exposed torso.
"Don't be stupid! Run!" Dae shouted.
As the tail pressed deeper, drawing more blood, Dom smirked… completely unfazed by the pain already shooting through his stomach.
"You're the one being stupid." He said.
Dae stiffened as blue mana flared out of Dom's body, his muscles and veins bulging across his arm, his grip tightening further on the beast's tail.
Once the armor beneath his thumbs cracked, the Reflezard shrieked and began to retreat.
But Dom stomped his foot into the ground, anchoring himself as his grip remained firm.
"If I leave you guys now…" Dom grumbled, eyes glowing brightly as cracks spider-webbed across the tail's armor. "… how am I supposed to surpass the Monarchs?!"
He grunted and squeezed, widening the fractures until the armor shattered completely. Fragments scattered in every direction as he crushed the muscular appendage beneath, black blood staining his hands instantly.
The Reflezard shrieked and retreated to a safe distance, its bleeding tail thrashing wildly, spilling its blood around it.
Dae watched, shock etched on his face as the once unbeatable beast now trembled in sheer agony.
Dom stepped forward, raising a mana-infused fist while his other hand tore off his damaged shirt. He stomped again, eyes burning with relentless determination as he glared at the monster.
"Bring it on, you ugly lizard!" Dom roared.
The Reflezard shrieked, its glowing eyes glowing locking onto the source of its pain.