A cold, sinister voice spread everywhere. "I forbid anyone from leaving."
A voice, laced with an eerie sound, sent shivers down the spines of everyone. Their heads snapped in the direction of the source, revealing Voragor as the speaker. Standing beside him on his right was an imposing figure a man enveloped in a grey mist that seemed to greedily absorb any surrounding light. His piercing yellow eyes glowed with an unsettling intensity, and he wore regal black and white attire. The tips of his fingers ended in razor-sharp claws.
To the left of Voragor, an unfamiliar creature came into view a bat-like body with a sleek, 4-foot-tall obsidian body. Large, expressive white eyes gave it an otherworldly glow, and its wings, reminiscent of a bat. Long fangs protruded from its mouth.
Draven pointed at Voragor,with a furrowed brow. "Who the hell are you? Do you think you can order me around?" he said with anger and slight arrogance.
The man on the right shouted, "How dare you show disrespect to my lord! I will have your tongue!"
The man slammed his feet onto the ground, conjuring a crater beneath him and unleashing a sweeping wave of grey mist towards Draven. As the mist collided with Draven, it hit him with a force that sent the wind out of his lungs. His body tumbled backward, tongue poking out, Theo swiftly extended his hand, to catch Draven before he could meet the ground
"You, You!" Draven stuttered before dashing behind Lennox and Theo, nearly tripping over.
'What a strong force! Even without Nexus energy, his Night element can produce that kind of force,' Lennox thought.
Voragor smirked evilly. "You won't like to know what happens to those that disobey my order," he said coldly, looking directly into everyone's eyes. They all felt their souls shake.
'Why is he here? I thought he would have been deeper in the forest,' Kira thought, scanning Voragor and the other two.
Everyone didn't recognize the other two next to Voragor. They thought, Maybe he created more subordinates, but then again they also thought that was a good thing, getting rid of more of his darkness.
'Hmmm, they are all coming from the direction of the center of the forest. Did he leave? But worse, he isn't the teenager,' Lennox thought, taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth. "Where is the boy you took control of? What did you do to him?" he shouted in anger.
Voragor passed his hand across his chest. "Now, why would I care about a fish that's already been eaten?" he said coldly, as he started laughing.
"You..." Lennox said, about to dash forward, but Kira's hand appeared in front of him stopping him. Looking at her, he calmed down.
"But since you deserve to know, as you're already dead," Voragor said, smirking evilly, showing all his teeth. "I ate his soul bit by bit, making it the most excruciating pain he ever felt. But he resisted a bit because of his sister. But after I finish with you, she's next."
Lennox and Kira felt their hearts quicken at Voragor's words filled their ears. Kira being not a fan of mindless violence, hoped that the boy had been spared from harm. On the other hand, Lennox's anger surged within him. He had hoped, much like how joining the academy had positively changed him, that the same transformative experience awaited the young boy. But now, that hope seemed extinguished, and Lennox grappled with the reality that the boy was no longer in this world, Also Voragor's revelation about the boy having a sister struck them with a realization.
"Ahh!" Lennox dashed forward with his fist aimed straight at Voragor's face, but before he could land it, the man on the side appeared in front of him. Lennox barely managed to block at the last second; the man's leg connected with his hands, pushing him back.
'So strong, I feel my bone almost break,' Lennox thought, shaking the pain out of his hands. 'He should be a Nexus Adept, but more than that.'
Nexus Adepts tend to have the upper hand on Nexus Initiates like Lennox, but he knew that even if you're a rank higher, having good skill and combat can go a long way in defeating someone higher ranked than yourself.
Theo and Kira ran up to Lennox. "Nox, are you okay?" Theo asked.
"I'm good. You and Kira deal with the man and the bat... While I personally deal with Voragor," Lennox ordered.
Theo and Kira exchanged nods, acknowledging the less strength that Lennox brought to the confrontation with Voragor. However, they recognized that facing Voragor required more than just individual strength. Muttle, with her formidable prowess surpassing even Kira, stood by Lennox's side. Lennox assumed a battle stance, determination etched across his face, while Muttle gripped her katana. Her eyes darted back and forth between Voragor and Lennox.
"Do you think you can just fight me?" The grey man smirked and said, putting his hand forward as a dark mist coalesced around it. "Night Hounds, kill them," he ordered viciously.
From the mist emanating from the grey man, a shadow emerged a two hounds, their fierce, sharp teeth growling menacingly, and eyes gleaming like distant stars. Instinctively, Kira and Theo bolted away from the approaching hounds.
In the midst of their running, Theo noticed the bat-like creature soaring silently above the trees. Without a clear plan of attack, he hesitated, not wanting to make a move that could leave him vulnerable. 'Let's wait for the right moment,' he thought, biding his time.
Theo glanced over at Kira, realizing the hounds were closing in on her. In an attempt to aid her, he conjured a ball of air and launched it at the hounds. To his lack of surprise, the airball had minimal impact on the misty body hounds. Understanding the limitations of his airball mostly pushback with minimal damage, he decided to close the gap and lend Kira a hand, knowing that direct physical force might be more effective against the hounds.
"Come on, Kira, can't you run faster than this?" Theo said jokingly but with a slight seriousness.
"Oh, shut up," Kira replied, breathing heavily as her stamina started catching up to her.
Suddenly, while running, Theo quickly picked up Kira, placing her onto his shoulder. The ground under his feet broke as he sped forward at a supernatural speed. Kira looking back in surprise.
"What amazing speed," Kira said.
The grey man looked at Theo with interest. 'He's fast even while carrying her too. Hmm, the hounds won't be able to keep up, but they will find them,' he thought. "Just so you know, you can't run forever."
Back on Theo's shoulder, Kira noticed the hounds still close. "I got your back," she said, taking out her bow and formulating a strategy.
Kira decided to employ one of her advanced skills, 'Shadow Spike.' Her eyes gleamed with focus as she extended her hand toward the ground, summoning shadows with a commanding gesture. A dark sphere materialized, thrown into the ground for her future strategy.
"Run all you want; my hounds will always find you!" The grey man shouted out loud. 'Also, thankfully, it's becoming night; it will enhance that they sense every step, even their tracking will be even more effective,' he thought.
Quickly conjuring two shadow arrows, Kira sent them flying towards the approaching hounds, but they easily dodged the arrows. Undeterred, she adjusted her strategy, realizing that a change in the attack angle was necessary. Focusing, she aimed her bow directly at the path where the hounds were advancing. With a deep breath, she released her shadow arrows, successfully hitting one hound in the head and another in the body. The former dissipated into mist, while the latter slowed down.
"Yes!"
Theo not hearing the hounds any closer, stopped and placed Kira back on the ground he turned just in time to face the descending bat."Theo what are you doing" Ignoring Kira's shocked exclamation, Theo leaped into the air, unleashing his advanced skill, "Sky Gale Strikes." Channeling the power of the air onto his hand, he executed a series of slashing motions, releasing multiple wind strikes toward the bat. Two of the strikes connected, knocking the creature further into the air.
As Theo landed with a triumphant smirk, the bat, clearly affected, screeched in response. "Sky Gale Strikes" showcased is one of his advanced self created while there are multiple skills he can learn from books they are usually too weak but unlike a self-created skill, it takes years of hard work and dedication.
"With the Swift Strike, being able to send it out multiple times, the attack relies on quick, precise movements, making it challenging for any opponent to evade," Theo thought.