CHAPTER 64— Cave battle(4)
Outside the cave—
The battlefield had finally gone quiet.
The deafening sounds of explosions, roaring Chimeras, and colliding spells had gradually faded away.
The battlefield slowly fell silent.
One by one, the last remaining Chimeras collapsed.
A lizard-like Chimera had it's head blasted apart by a barrage of earth spikes.
A wolf-shaped Chimera was burned into ash beneath crimson flames.
A winged monstrosity attempted to escape into the sky only to be struck by multiple spells at once and crash into the ground.
Only the occasional crackle of lingering flames and the heavy breathing of exhausted students remained.
The ground looked devastated.
What remained behind was a devastated landscape littered with shattered monster corpses and exhausted students.
Burned flesh.
Broken bones.
Scorched earth.
The remains of dozens of Chimeras were scattered across the battlefield.
Many students simply sat wherever they had collapsed.
Some were leaning against trees.
Some had fallen flat on the ground.
Others were desperately gulping water while trying to steady their breathing.
"Huff..."
"Hah..."
"Finally..."
A blond student dropped onto the grass and stared at the sky.
"I thought they would never stop coming."
Another student beside him laughed weakly.
"I was already preparing my funeral speech."
"You write your own funeral speech?"
"Of course."
The boy pointed at himself proudly.
"Preparation is important."
"You're an idiot."
Several students laughed weakly.
Some groaned in agreement.
The battle had been far longer than any of them expected.
For first-years, it had been especially brutal.
Most of them were already exhausted.
Others carried scratches, burns, and bruises.
Fortunately, nobody seemed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
At least not outside the cave.
That fact alone was enough to make many students sigh in relief.
Many of them had entered Rune Island expecting a simple training exercise.
Instead, they had ended up fighting a horde of grotesque monsters created by dark magic.
Not exactly what anyone would call a normal academy trip.
Near the battlefield—
Marna planted her staff into the ground and stretched her sore shoulders.
Her earth spells had been active almost nonstop throughout the battle.
She dismissed a large stone construct she had been controlling.
The construct crumbled back into rubble.
She wiped sweat from her forehead.
"Finally."
She glanced toward the cave entrance.
Her expression was tense.
"They're still fighting inside."
Nearby, Kaizen remained seated against the cave wall.
His shoulder was bandaged.
His clothes were covered in dirt.
Yet his eyes never left the cave entrance.
'Ashwin...'
His fingers tightened slightly.
'Don't do anything reckless.'
Of course, he already knew that was a hopeless wish.
Ashwin sometimes treated reckless decisions as a hobby.
A loud yawn suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Kaizen turned his head.
Then immediately regretted.
Nearby, another Sanctum student collapsed dramatically infront of him.
"I think my soul left my body three times during that fight."
"It should've stayed gone."
"Shut up."
The student threw a pebble at him.
A few people chuckled.
The tension that had dominated the battlefield was finally beginning to fade.
Not everyone relaxed, however.
Several students kept glancing toward the cave entrance.
The battle inside was still ongoing.
The occasional explosion from within made that abundantly clear.
BOOM!
The ground trembled slightly.
Everyone looked toward the cave.
"...They're still fighting."
A nervous silence followed.
Not many students liked the thought of whatever was happening inside.
Especially after seeing hundreds of Chimeras pour out from that cave.
If that was merely the aftermath—
Then what exactly was waiting inside?
"I never want to see another Chimera again."
The exhausted laughter that followed spread through several nearby students.
The battle had been won.
At least outside the cave.
The moment Seraphine and her Crimson Club had arrived, the entire situation had changed.
The Chimeras that had previously overwhelmed the students suddenly found themselves facing an entirely new problem.
A very excited fire mage.
And her equally ridiculous followers.
The battlefield had transformed from a desperate struggle into a one-sided slaughter.
Many students were still trying to process it.
Several scorched Chimera corpses lay near the cave entrance.
Some looked less like monsters and more like piles of charcoal.
Nobody needed to ask who was responsible for that.
Meanwhile—
A magnificent throne made entirely of crimson stone sat proudly in the middle of the battlefield.
Nobody knew when it had appeared.
Nobody knew why it had appeared.
The only thing everyone knew was that somehow—
Seraphine was sitting on it.
One leg elegantly crossed over the other.
Back perfectly straight.
Chin slightly raised.
One elbow resting against the throne's armrest while her cheek rested lazily against her palm.
The crimson-haired girl sat atop the stone as though she ruled the entire island.
The setting sun reflected within her magma-like eyes.
Her crimson hair swayed gently in the evening breeze, glowing almost like burning embers beneath the fading sunlight..
Several members of the Crimson Club stood around her like royal guards.
One of them handed her a bottle of water.
Seraphine accepted it without even looking.
Another offered a towel.
She accepted that too.
A third student was about to speak.
Seraphine raised a hand.
The student immediately stopped.
She slowly took a sip of water.
The entire scene looked absurd.
Yet somehow nobody questioned it anymore.
A student glanced at the throne.
Then at Seraphine.
Then back at the throne.
"...When did she even make that?"
"No idea."
"Did she bring it with her?"
"How would anyone bring a throne into a dungeon?"
"Good point."
Seraphine completely ignored the whispers.
Or perhaps she heard them and simply deemed them unworthy of acknowledgment.
Either option felt equally possible.
She looked over the battlefield with an expression that suggested she personally deserved credit for saving the entire island.
Which, admittedly, wasn't entirely wrong.
One of her followers stepped forward.
"Lady Seraphine."
"Hm?"
"The battlefield has been secured."
"Naturally."
She flicked her hair.
"What else did you expect?"
The follower immediately nodded.
"Of course."
"Without us it would've been much harder."
A few nearby students looked offended.
One of them pointed toward Marna.
"What about her group?"
Another pointed toward the other students.
"What about us?"
The Crimson Club members instantly looked away.
Seraphine pretended not to hear anything.
"Still..."
Her crimson hair fluttered lightly in the wind.
"That was disappointing."
Several nearby students stared.
"Disappointing?"
Seraphine nodded.
"I came here expecting to fight dark mages."
Instead she pointed toward the countless dead Chimeras.
"I spent all my time fighting ugly monsters."
Several students immediately looked away.
Somehow that sounded like something only Seraphine would complain about.
Marna sighed.
"You are unbelievable."
Nearby students exchanged looks.
Nobody said anything.
Everyone had learned long ago that arguing with Seraphine was exhausting.
Much more exhausting than fighting Chimeras.
Because unlike Chimeras—
Seraphine never seemed to run out of energy.
---
Meanwhile—
A short distance away from the battlefield—
Ritvik and Sarina sat beneath the shade of a large tree.
Both looked exhausted.
Their clothes were dirty.
And yet, compared to many other students, they were still in relatively good condition.
Sarina leaned against the tree trunk, quietly drinking from a water bottle.
Beside her, Ritvik sat with his back against the bark.
The lenses of his glasses reflected the fading sunlight.
"That was quite exuaseting."
"Of course."
"Gosh..."
Ritvik tilted his head back and stared at the sky.
"Glad it's over."
They both sat quietly drinking water from a bottle.
Even though things had gotten somewhat quite Ritvik's gaze was still fixed ahead.
Towards the cave to be precise.
The battle inside still hadn't ended.
Every now and then distant explosions echoed from within.
The occasional tremor shook the ground.
Something was still happening in there.
And Rowan was still inside and hadn't came out yet.
"Tch."
Ritvik clicked his tongue.
He slowly stood up.
His legs felt heavy.
His shoulders hurt.
His stamina was almost depleted. Yet he stood.
"I'm going."
Sarina glanced at him.
"You can barely stand."
"I can stand."
"You almost fell while saying that."
"I did not."
"You literally swayed."
"I was stretching."
Sarina stared at him for a moment longer then necessary.
"Sigh..."
She signed then causually drank her water.
Ritvik looked away.
"...Whatever."
Without another word he started walking toward the cave.
Step.
Step.
Step.
His attention remained fixed entirely on the cave entrance.
He didn't look left.
He didn't look right.
All he looked was straight. Straight towards the cave.
Which was why—
THUNK.
"OW!"
Ritvik suddenly grabbed his foot.
Pain shot through his toe.
His face immediately twisted.
"What the hell?!"
He looked downward.
Then at the giant crimson throne directly in front of him.
A vein appeared on his forehead.
"Who the fuck built a throne in the middle of my way?!"
KICK.
Without thinking Ritvik immediately kicked the side of the throne.
The throne didn't move.
Not even in slightest.
But Ritvik did.
"OW!"
He hopped backward while clutching his foot.
Several nearby students looked away to hide their laughter.
Ritvik glared at the throne.
Then leaned sideways to see who was sitting on it.
And the moment he did. His face froze.
"..."
Seraphine.
Seraphine stared back.
"..."
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence settled between them.
Ritvik immediately turned around.
Ignoring her, He started walking away.
Slowly.
Very causally.
As if avoiding eye contact would somehow make her disappear.
As if he had not just kicked her throne.
As if she did not exist.
He was walking away.
Trying his absolute best to ignore her.
Unfortunately—
Seraphine existed.
"Class B mutt."
Ritvik froze.
"..."
"..."
Then He continued walking again.
"Class B mutt."
His pace increased.
"Hey mutt."
He walked even faster.
"HEY."
A fireball exploded directly in front of him.
BOOM.
Ritvik stopped.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Like a man approaching his execution.
He turned around.
His expression already looked exhausted.
"What."
"Did you just kick my throne?"
"No."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"I watched you do it."
"You imagined it."
Seraphine stared at him.
Ritvik stared back.
The surrounding students immediately perked up.
A few even sat up straighter.
This was becoming significantly more entertaining than the Chimera battle.
Seraphine stared at him.
Ritvik stared back.
Neither looked willing to surrender.
Seraphine slowly stood up from her throne.
Seraphine slowly rose from her throne.
Gracefully.
Like a queen standing from her royal seat.
"You kicked my throne."
"You built a throne in the middle of a road."
"It's not a road."
"It literally is."
"It was empty."
"People walk there."
"Not important people."
Ritvik's eye twitched.
"Then where exactly are normal people supposed to walk?"
Seraphine pointed at the entire battlefield.
"Anywhere else."
"..."
"..."
Ritvik's face instantly soured.
"...Why are you here?"
Seraphine's eyes narrowed.
"What kind of greeting is that?"
"...?"
"The correct greeting would be—"
She cleared her throat dramatically.
Then spoke with an exaggeratedly noble accent.
"'Thank you, Miss Seraphine, for saving our worthless lives. We shall dedicate ourselves to becoming worthy enough to repay your kindness.'"
Silence.
A long silence.
Ritvik stared at her for a second longer then necessary and then—
"PFFT— Hahahaha." He burst into laughter.
His shoulders shook.
He nearly doubled over.
"Haha..."
He pointed at her.
"Hahahah... What type of accent was that."
Seraphine stared at him with a smile a very dangerous smile.
The kind that immediately activated every survival instinct a person possessed.
Ritvik noticed it and realising he doesn't wanna get burned right now—
"Cough cough."
He faked a few coughs and then tried making his escape.
"Class B mutt."
Ritvik didn't stop.
A deep sigh escaped him but he still kept walking.
"...Hello."
"Come back."
"No."
"Come back."
"No."
"Come back."
Ritvik stared at the sky.
As though asking the heavens why they hated him.
Eventually he turned around.
"What?"
Seraphine smiled.
The kind of smile that immediately made people suspicious.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"The cave."
"Why?"
"Because my friend is inside."
Seraphine tilted her head.
"That axe guy?"
"His name is Rowan."
"Oh."
A pause.
"I forgot."
"You forgot after meeting him an hour ago."
"He wasn't very memorable."
Ritvik's eyebrow twitched.
"You know what? Never mind."
He tried walking away again.
"Stop."
"I won't."
"Likewise."
The conversation happened so naturally that neither seemed bothered by it anymore.
Several nearby students watched with interest.
One student whispered.
"Are they friends?"
Another student immediately replied.
"No."
A third student shook his head.
"They argue too much to be friends."
A fourth student crossed his arms.
"They talk too much to be enemies."
The group collectively nodded.
None of them could understand whatever relationship those two had.
Before either could continue—
Another explosion echoed from inside the cave.
BOOOOM.
The ground trembled slightly.
Immediately the atmosphere changed.
The smiles disappeared.
The joking stopped.
Everyone looked toward the cave.
The battle inside was still ongoing.
And judging by that explosion—
It wasn't slowing down.
Marna's expression turned serious.
"Ashwin is still fighting."
One student swallowed.
"You think he's okay?"
"He is Ashwin."
"That's not an answer."
"It kind of is."
Several students exchanged nervous glances.
Meanwhile—
Seraphine finally stood up from her throne.
The throne immediately crumbled into crimson dust behind her.
Several students blinked.
"Of course it was made of magic."
"Why wouldn't it be?"
Seraphine ignored them.
Her eyes moved toward the cave entrance.
The explosions hadn't stopped.
The battle was still ongoing.
For the first time since arriving, her expression became slightly serious.
"...Interesting."
Ritvik noticed the change.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"No."
"Then what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking whoever is fighting inside has been fighting for far too long."
Ritvik frowned.
Because he had arrived at the same conclusion.
The Chimeras outside were gone.
Completely gone.
Yet the battle inside continued.
Which meant the source of everything was still alive.
And still fighting.
Sarina walked over toward them.
"We should go."
Ritvik nodded.
Several nearby students also slowly stood up.
They were exhausted.
Covered in dirt.
Covered in sweat.
Some had injuries.
Yet despite all that—
They still rose to their feet.
Because none of them could ignore what was happening inside anymore.
one by one they began gathering near the cave entrance.
Their staffs tightened in their hands.
Their wands glowed faintly.
Nobody knew what awaited them inside.
Nobody knew what kind of battle could continue after producing hundreds of Chimeras.
Nobody knew what Ashwin was facing.
But they all understood one thing.
The real battle had never been outside.
It was inside that cave.
Marna tightened her grip around her staff.
The stone around her feet shifted slightly in response to her mana.
Several Sanctum students gathered nearby.
Others from different clubs slowly joined them.
The exhausted crowd gradually transformed back into a force ready for combat.
Even if only barely.
The cave entrance loomed ahead like the mouth of a giant beast.
Dark.
Silent.
Waiting.
BOOM!
Another explosion erupted from within.
A pulse of mana rolled out from the cave.
The students exchanged looks.
The decision was made without anyone needing to say it.
They couldn't wait any longer.
Seraphine stepped forward.
A slow grin spread across her face.
The familiar confidence returned to her eyes.
Crimson flames flickered around her fingertips.
Dancing lazily like living embers.
"Well then."
Several students instinctively looked toward her.
The grin on her face widened.
"Let's go see what kind of idiot has been causing all this trouble."
Ritvik adjusted his glasses.
"...You're talking like you're going on a picnic."
"It sounds more fun that way."
A few nearby students sighed.
Others rolled their eyes.
Somehow that response felt completely expected.
Even now.
Even after everything.
Seraphine remained Seraphine.
Nearby students exchanged tired looks.
Then, almost simultaneously—
They began moving.
Step by step.
Nearby students exchanged looks.
Then together—
They began moving toward the cave.
And toward the battle that still refused to end.
---
CHAPTER ENDS