The scene unfolds grippingly as Jin and Yata unexpectedly plummet into a massive sinkhole, its radius spanning over 20 meters, dangerously close to the flag they aimed for. Instinct kicks in as both warriors, caught in mid-fall, simultaneously think to use their air-blasting abilities to propel themselves towards the edges of the chasm. Their bodies flip with agility as they sprint upwards, defying gravity with remarkable speed.
But even as they make their desperate ascent, the situation takes a darker turn. Kazami Quon, a member of the powerful Quon clan, is also falling rapidly. His expression, a mixture of determination and disdain, is evident as he mutters under his breath, "The Quon clan will never lose." With a confident flick of his hands, he points his curled fingers at each other before snapping them straight. In an instant, deadly spikes erupt from every conceivable surface within the sinkhole.
The high-ranking adversaries, clad in their distinctive purple uniforms, are caught off guard. The spikes impale them, halting their ascent and sending them crashing back into the abyss. The ferocity and precision of Kazami's attack leave a chilling impression.
How could Kazami Quon, a lone individual, manage to eliminate two formidable opponents so effortlessly? His sheer power and brutality cast a shadow of suspense and intrigue over the unfolding events, making it clear that the Quon clan's reputation for strength and dominance should not be taken lightly.
'Ah, shit!' I yelled, adrenaline surging through me as I leapt into the air, my arms flailing wildly as I flew across the yawning chasm of the sinkhole. My heart pounded in my chest, the ground far below threatening to swallow me whole.
I glanced up just in time to see Kazami plummeting toward the flag, his face set in grim determination. At the last possible moment, he swung his arms backwards with a fierce, deliberate motion. A massive slab of earth erupted from the side of the sinkhole, shooting out diagonally like a spear aimed at me.
My body tensed up, and everything slowed down again, the world moving slowly. As the slab of earth approached, I grabbed it, flipping over it with a burst of energy before sprinting down its length. But Kazami was faster. He reached for the flag and sealed it before I could get there.
My breath came in ragged gasps as I kept running. My eyes locked onto Kazami. Tension coiled tighter and tighter within me. This was starting to get bad. The veins in my body began to bulge and pop, and my skin felt like it was about to tear apart. My eyes strained, and every blink was a battle against the pressure building behind them.
'ARGHH!' I screamed, pushing through the pain, scrutinizing every last movement Kazami made. Desperation fueled my focus, sharpening it to a razor's edge. And then I saw it—he flinched his finger.
'HUP!' I leapt right at him, aiming for the only safe place free from the spikes. We collided mid-air and tumbled to the side, perilously close to the sinkhole's edge.
"ARGHH!" he roared, shoving himself back to his feet and stomping into a fighting stance. I followed suit, planting my feet firmly on the ground. Our eyes locked in a tense standoff. The blue mana leaking from my body had vanished, and the effect was worn off.
I thought about eating another mana orb but quickly dismissed the idea. My body couldn't handle the strain anymore. This fight would have to be finished with what strength I had left.
"Territory," he suddenly declared.
'NO!' I shouted, unleashing a torrent of flames. But he was quicker, shooting upwards on a block of stone.
Slabs of the earth began rising all around me, moving in a chaotic dance. I dodged left and right, desperately trying to avoid being crushed, but the walls were closing in. Looking up, I saw him perched smugly on his little island.
I ignited a flame in my hand, a small victory, but relief turned to horror as the slabs sprouted spikes.
"Kinetic Maze," he said with a smirk.
He must be unable to seal the area entirely with his mana alone, so he decided to imbue mana only in the slabs and earth. Then I just have to blast one side away.
I pointed my palm towards the side where the dome curved.
'AHHH!!!' But before I could let it rip, the sky fell.
. . .
"Hino Territory: Scorched Earth!" they shouted in unison, stomping their feet. Mana surged into the ground, causing pillars of fire to erupt towards the creature. It squealed in pain momentarily but then stomped its hooves. Instantly, the territory was overwhelmed.
The ground trembled violently as a wave of earthen blocks burst up, cascading back down in a rippling motion from the point of impact.
"ARGH!" they groaned, barely managing to escape into the air. However, their reprieve was short-lived; they were abruptly yanked back down, pinned to the ground, and bound in a cruciform position.
"Boss, we have them."
"Gooooooooood," the deep, monstrous voice rumbled again. Matsuda and Sakura exchanged glances, their eyes flicking nervously towards the feet of their captors.
A man squatted down before them, and their expressions turned cold.
"Kyousuke Quon," Matsuda muttered, recognizing him. Kyousuke had short brown hair, tousled by the dust clouds swirling around them. His Quon outfit—brown robes over a black inner shirt—was caked with dust and sand. His muscular arms bulged, veins standing out prominently. Despite his handsome features, something was deeply unsettling. His pupils were extremely dilated.
Matsuda and Sakura were struck silent by the sight, unable to utter a word.
"Why are you siding with this monster." He muttered.
"Boss, we have them."
"Gooooooooood," the deep, monstrous voice rumbled again. Matsuda and Sakura exchanged glances, their eyes flicking nervously towards their captors' feet.
"Who are you guys? Why are you siding with the monster?" Matsuda demanded.
A man squatted down before them, and their expressions turned icy.
"Kyousuke Quon," Matsuda muttered, recognizing him. Kyousuke had short brown hair, tousled by the dust clouds swirling around them. His Quon outfit—brown robes over a black inner shirt—was caked with dust and sand. His muscular arms bulged, veins standing out prominently. Despite his handsome features, something was deeply unsettling. His pupils were dilated.
Matsuda and Sakura were struck silent by the sight, unable to utter a word.
"Why are you siding with this monster?"
"Monster is too much, don't you think? This is our Master," Kyousuke Quon said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Speaking of which, Master... I found my bastard son. Shall we go find him?"
"Y...essss..." the monstrous voice hissed in agreement.
"With pleasu—" Kyousuke began, but a vibration interrupted him. The earth manacians felt light tremors on the surface.
"See you guys in hell," Matsuda and Sakura smirked as a high-pitched screech echoed through the area. A jet of flames erupted from where they were pinned, blowing up the surrounding area. Washio quickly shielded himself and Ujin from the explosion.
The beast reacted, stomping its hooves again. Slabs shot out from the slab of earth, interrupting the fire with ease.
"AHHHH!" They didn't let up the eruption of flames, eventually burning a portion of the beast's leg. However, in no time, the wound started regenerating. The burnt scab falls off as quickly as it was burnt, and the wound drips blood as it seems to slowly but steadily close itself back up.
"They are in the Elite Mana Academy," Kyousuke stated.
"Tha... Kana..." Sakura muttered weakly.
"It's okay... We will see to it that everyone is dead... including Kazami Quon and ourselves," Kyousuke sneered.
"Quon Special: Earthen Tunneling," he commanded. Instantly, they buried themselves and vanished from sight, the only evidence of their presence here being the slight puddle of blood left by the beast itself.
"What is this..." Matsuda muttered as he used his finger to shoot a steady flame, trying to melt the cuffs. "We have to go save our daughter!" he said firmly, determination burning in his eyes.
. . .
'What… in the world is…'
I watched in stunned disbelief as a monstrous beast erupted from the ground, sending shockwaves through the floor and shattering the glass ceiling above us. Shards rained down like a deadly, glittering storm, their impact deafening. Men and women emerged from the ground alongside the beast, their expressions as bewildered and terrified as mine. The monster's eyes locked onto Kazami, whose face contorted in a fear I had never seen before.
The walls around us ceased their relentless movement, and Kazami dropped back down, his voice shaking as he tried to speak. "We… we have to le—" His words were cut off by a blaring announcement.
"All students, run towards the exits." The voice echoed through the chaos, urgent and commanding. I sprinted towards the nearest exit, following the unobstructed path behind the flag. As I ran, I risked a glance back and saw teachers descending from above, their faces set with grim determination.
Suddenly, Yatagarasu and Jin appeared beside us, their purple uniforms flapping wildly in the wind created by the beast's emergence. "What's happening?!" Jin yelled, panic clear in his voice. Yatagarasu clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Don't… Have you seen the beast? You don't want to attract its attention."
"I… I can explain," Kazami stammered, but his words offered no comfort. Nothing could explain the horror of the monster we had just witnessed.
###
These uniforms are protective mana suits designed for combat. At the start of battle, the user infuses the suit with their mana. During the period that the suit is charged, any injuries sustained by the user are absorbed by the mana in the suit. Once the suit's mana is depleted, it changes colour to purple. The suit is a single-use item due to current technological constraints.