The valley trembled because of its presence.
Dust and shattered stone rained down as the massive anomaly fully emerged from the ground.
Its towering height cast a shadow across the entire battlefield.
Distorted limbs stretched outwards, twisting unnaturally as dark Shuryoku pulsed across its surface.
For a moment—
No one moved. No one spoke.
The pressure alone made it hard to breathe.
Several students collapsed to one knee.
"I… I can't move…"
"What is that thing…?"
One of the instructors stepped forward, forcing himself to stand straight.
"All units—prepare to engage!"
That snapped the others back to reality.
A group of students rushed forward first.
"We can take it down together!"
Their weapons ignited with Shuryoku.
They charged.
The anomaly didn't move. Not even slightly.
The first strike landed. A clean hit across its torso.
For a split second—nothing happened.
Then—
The anomaly moved.
One of its limbs swung.
Fast.
Too fast.
A shockwave exploded outward.
The students were sent flying. Their bodies crashed against the rocky ground.
Some rolled. Others didn't move at all.
"W-What just happened?!"
Another group stepped in.
"Don't stop! Attack together!"
They attacked from multiple directions.
Blades struck. Shuryoku bursts collided against its body.
This time—
A small crack appeared along its surface.
"WE GOT IT!"
But the crack began to close. Slowly. Then faster.
It regenerated completely.
"W-What…?"
Before they could react—
The anomaly's body pulsed. A wave of energy burst outward.
Everyone nearby was thrown back again.
This time harder.
The ground cracked beneath the impact.
Several students lost consciousness instantly.
Silence followed. Heavy breathing filled the valley.
Several students lay motionless across the ground.
Others struggled to stand.
Fear spread quickly.
"This… this isn't something we can fight…"
One of the instructors stepped forward again.
His grip tightened around his weapon.
"We're not done yet."
Two more instructors moved beside him. Their Shuryoku flared—far stronger than before.
"On my signal," one of them said.
The anomaly stood still. Watching. Waiting.
"Now!"
They moved at once.
One dashed forward, his blade glowing with concentrated Shuryoku.
He struck—
a powerful slash across the anomaly's arm.
At the same time, another instructor leaped into the air.
A massive burst of Shuryoku energy gathered in his palm.
"Break!"
He slammed it down. The impact shook the ground. Dust exploded outward.
For a moment—
The anomaly staggered.
"It's working!" someone shouted.
But then, the dark energy across its body surged.
The damage began to heal. Faster than before.
"No…"
The anomaly moved again.
Multiple limbs lashed out at once.
Fast. Unpredictable.
The instructors reacted immediately—
They blocked—
Dodged—
Countered—
But it wasn't enough.
A violent shockwave burst outward.
All three were thrown back.
Their bodies slammed into the ground with heavy force.
One crashed into a rock formation. Another skidded across the valley floor. The third didn't move.
Silence followed. Heavier than before.
Even more suffocating.
"No way… even the instructors…"
A few remaining students stepped back instinctively.
Fear had completely taken over now.
"This… isn't a mission anymore."
Across the battlefield—
A figure stepped forward.
Ishara Veyl.
Her expression was calm, but her eyes were sharp. Focused.
Her grip tightened around her blade. A faint glow began to form around it.
Her Shuryoku rose steadily.
Controlled. Precise.
She exhaled.
Then—she vanished.
A burst of speed. Faster than anything before.
She reappeared beside the anomaly.
Slash. A clean strike tore across its torso.
Dark Shuryoku scattered into the air.
She didn't stop.
Second strike.
Third.
Fourth.
Each movement was precise. Each attack perfectly placed.
The anomaly staggered.
For the first time—
It was being pushed back.
"She's actually damaging it!"
A deep fracture spread across its body.
Nearly half of its form destabilized.
The dark energy flickered violently.
Ishara's eyes narrowed.
It's working.
She stepped forward again—
But then—
The anomaly's core pulsed.
Violently.
A surge of dark Shuryoku spread across its entire body.
The cracks began to close again.
Slowly—then faster.
Ishara noticed immediately.
It regenerates, but not instantly.
She shifted her stance. Adjusted her grip.
Then dashed forward again—
But this time—
The anomaly moved first.
A massive limb shot toward her.
The other students, seeing Ishara push the anomaly back, gathered what little strength they had left.
"We can't just stand here!"
"Attack together!"
They rushed forward.
Blades ignited. Shuryoku flared.
They attacked from all directions.
For a moment—
It looked like they stood a chance.
Then—
The anomaly moved.
A violent pulse of dark Shuryoku erupted outward.
A shockwave tore through the battlefield.
Every student who charged—
Was thrown back. Hard.
Their bodies slammed into the ground.
One by one—
They fell unconscious.
Only one remained standing.
Ishara.
Her breathing had grown heavier. But her grip didn't loosen.
Her eyes stayed locked on the anomaly.
The anomaly turned toward her.
Slowly. Its limbs shifted.
Then—
It attacked.
A massive strike came down.
Ishara tried to dodge—
But she was too late.
The impact hit her directly.
Her body was sent flying across the battlefield.
Straight toward a jagged rock formation.
From a distance—
Royoshi's eyes widened.
His body moved before he could think.
He dashed forward. Fast.
Faster than before.
The ground cracked beneath his steps.
In an instant—
He reached her and caught her.
The force pushed him back several steps.
His feet dragged across the ground—
But he held.
Ishara blinked faintly.
Her vision blurred for a moment.
Then focused.
Royoshi.
He looked down at her.
A faint smile.
"Looks like you're the one who needs to stop taking so many risks, Ishara."
She froze.
For just a second—
She flushed slightly.
Too small to be noticed.
Royoshi gently set her down behind a large rock—safe.
"Leave the rest to me."
He turned.
And faced the anomaly.
For the first time—
Without acting.
Royoshi stepped forward.
His grip tightened around his sword.
The air around him shifted.
Subtle—but different.
The anomaly noticed. Its distorted head turned toward him. Its limbs twitched.
Sensing him.
Royoshi exhaled slowly.
No hesitation now.
"If I can't beat you with my Shuryoku abilities…"
His stance lowered.
Calm. Stable.
"Then I'll beat you without relying on it."
The anomaly attacked first.
A massive limb tore through the air toward him.
Royoshi moved.
A slight step—
And the attack missed completely.
The ground behind him exploded from impact.
He dashed forward. Fast.
His body moved with pure physical precision. No wasted motion. No unnecessary force.
His blade struck—a clean cut across its side.
Dark Shuryoku scattered.
The anomaly retaliated instantly. Multiple limbs lashed out.
Royoshi ducked—
Stepped—
Twisted—
Every movement perfectly timed.
A strike grazed across his shoulder.
Another slammed into his side—
He was thrown back.
But he landed on his feet.
Sliding across the ground.
He wiped the blood from his lip.
Then smirked slightly.
"…Yeah. You definitely don't belong to the 'moderate level'."
The anomaly pulsed.
Dark Shuryoku surged across its body again.
Then—
Streams of Shuryoku began flowing toward it.
From the unconscious students.
From the battlefield itself.
It was feeding.
Recovering.
Faster than before.
Royoshi's eyes narrowed.
"So that's your ability…, huh."
The air grew heavier.
The energy streams intensified.
If it absorbed all of that, it would fully recover.
Royoshi adjusted his stance.
Lower. More grounded.
His breathing slowed.
His focus sharpened.
"I don't have much time."
The anomaly moved.
A massive limb crashed down toward him.
Royoshi stepped forward—not back.
He slipped past the attack.
Close.
Too close.
He dashed forward again. Faster.
His body blurred across the ground.
A strike—
Clean. Precise.
A deep cut tore across the anomaly's core.
For the first time—
It reacted.
The anomaly let out a distorted, echoing sound.
Its limbs lashed out violently. Wild. Uncontrolled.
Royoshi dodged.
One—
Two—
Three attacks.
Each one barely missing.
The ground shattered around him.
A fourth strike—
Too fast.
It hit him.
Royoshi was thrown across the battlefield. His body slammed into the ground. Dust exploded around him.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then—
He pushed himself up. Slowly.
Blood dripped from his arm.
His breathing grew heavier.
"Heh…"
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"Guess I can't keep this up forever."
The anomaly pulsed again.
The energy streams were getting closer.
Just a few more seconds—
Royoshi looked up.
His gaze locked onto it.
Then—
He moved. Faster than before.
Everything around him seemed to slow down.
The wind.
The dust.
The falling debris.
Only one thing mattered—the distance.
He closed it instantly.
His sword rose.
This time—
Shuryoku didn't spread across the blade. It compressed. Condensed.
Forced into a single, blinding point.
The air vibrated.
"Atomic…"
The anomaly turned—
Too late.
"RADIATOR SPLIT!"
He swung. A single strike. Absolute.
The blade cut through everything.
Through its body. Through its core. Through the Shuryoku, it was trying to absorb.
For a moment, silence followed.
The flowing energy stopped.
Frozen mid-air.
Then—
The anomaly split.
A massive explosion of dark Shuryoku erupted into the sky.
The shockwave spread across the valley. The crimson glow shattered. The pressure vanished.
The sky cleared.
Above—
The barrier flickered violently.
Cracks spread across its surface.
Then—it shattered.
Gone. It turned into ash.
Royoshi stood still.
His sword lowered slightly.
His arm trembled.
Behind him—
Footsteps. Fast. Desperate.
"Royoshi!"
Ishara.
She reached him quickly.
Her eyes scanned him.
The injuries. The blood. His unstable stance.
"You saved all of us…Thank you."
"I'm just glad everyone is safe…" Royoshi said.
"You didn't hold back this time… good."
Her voice was quieter now.
Almost relieved.
Royoshi let out a small breath.
A faint smile formed.
"…Yeah."
His vision blurred.
The world around him tilted.
"I guess… I just need some rest…"
His body swayed.
His arm burned… as if the Shuryoku itself rejected the strain.
Then, he collapsed forward.
But before he hit the ground—
Ishara caught him.
Her grip tightened instantly.
"Royoshi…!"
She steadied him.
Careful.
Almost… too careful.
Moments later—
The sound of engines echoed across the valley.
Backup units arrived. Multiple transport ships descended rapidly.
Medical teams rushed out immediately.
"Secure the area!"
"Check for survivors!"
"Get the injured stabilized!"
One by one—
The unconscious students began waking up.
Confused. Disoriented.
"What… happened…?"
"Where's the anomaly…?"
Their eyes slowly shifted.
Toward the center of the battlefield.
Toward Ishara.
Holding Royoshi.
"You… defeated it?"
"That was insane…"
"You saved all of us…"
A few seconds of silence—
Then—clap.
One student. Then another.
Soon—
The entire valley echoed with applause.
Ishara froze. Just slightly.
Her gaze lowered toward Royoshi.
Then she looked away.
She said nothing. She neither denied it nor confirmed it.
A new presence entered the battlefield.
Heavy. Sharp.
Master Devrik.
He walked forward slowly. His eyes scanned everything.
The shattered terrain.
The fading Shuryoku.
The unconscious students.
Then—
He stopped.
His gaze landed on Royoshi.
Unconscious.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Small. But knowing.
"…Interesting."
He stepped closer. Just enough.
Then he murmured—
Quietly.
So only he could hear it—even though Royoshi was unconscious.
"So that's the level you've been hiding."
He turned away.
As if nothing had happened.