"This should be it," Echo muttered as he walked down a hallway. This part of the academy had bookshelves along the walls and circular tables with chairs scattered around.
Looking up, he saw the open second floor with similar bookshelves, simple chairs, and tables.
The place was lit by natural sunlight streaming through the glass ceiling. Unlike the sleek, aerodynamic buildings in the center of the academy, this area emphasized simplicity and aesthetics.
There was even an open courtyard where students could relax.
However, despite the calming setting, the atmosphere inside was anything but peaceful.
Two women stood facing each other—one in the Celestus Academy uniform, the other in a Magician Hats outfit.
Echo found a corner to hide in. Peeking out, he saw Dianne surrounded by dark grey smoke. Howls of souls echoed from the smoke, their origins unclear—whether they were human or from other creatures. Regardless, the sound sent chills down most spines. But to Echo, it was nothing more than unpleasant noise.
His eyes shifted to her opponent—the nerd, now dressed in a black magician's outfit and top hat, her long black hair flowing smoothly. Her glasses were gone, replaced by seductive eyes and a smile full of confidence as she gazed at the Soul Absorber with interest. The two beauties facing off was a sight to behold, even if the tension of battle filled the air.
Suddenly, the nerd flickered in a flash of light, instantly appearing in front of Dianne.
The Soul Absorber responded with a punch, the air splitting from its force, and with a loud bang, shockwaves erupted from the impact!
Tables and chairs slammed against the walls, bookshelves toppled, and the entire building shook.
The second floor creaked, and cracks formed in the ceiling. But such a powerful attack was only the beginning.
Maxwell watched as the magician nerd reappeared behind Dianne, landing a kick that shattered her smoke defense. The ground cracked under the impact, forcing the Soul Absorber to take a few steps back.
Just from this exchange, it was clear that the nerd had the upper hand.
Echo studied them for a moment before glancing at the surveillance cameras. There were at least five, carefully capturing every corner, including his hiding spot.
He tapped his Aether Brace, and a holographic screen appeared, asking for input. Echo quickly typed his password, and the screen shifted from light blue to a black hologram filled with words and numbers.
"Good," Echo smiled, raising his other hand and pulling at the top of his Aether Brace. It let out a mechanical sound, transforming piece by piece until it completely detached from his left wrist and turned into a sleek black revolver.
The design was smooth, minimalist, and futuristic, with an intimidating simplicity.
Holding it in his right hand, Echo flicked his wrist to check the number of bullets in the cylinder. The bullets were as black as the void, almost blending in with the gun itself.
Transforming the Aether Brace into a gun had taken him almost a week of sleepless nights. Not only did he have to handle the backend and security aspects of the device, but he also had to ensure that the gun would be powerful enough to take down most mid-range Untamed.
If the academy found out about this, they could expel him. But Echo didn't care about the consequences as long as he achieved his goal.
The sound of fighting echoed, and the whole building shook with each attack's aftermath.
Turning back to the battle, Echo saw that Dianne was struggling against the magician. Even so, he didn't jump in yet, waiting for the right moment.
Another of Dianne's smoke barriers, filled with crying souls, shattered into mist. Her black eyes remained emotionless, and even as a fist struck her chest, she barely reacted. Blood spurted from her mouth as her body slammed into the wall, leaving deep cracks.
The magician nerd smiled coldly, reappearing in front of the Soul Absorber in a flash of white light.
"You're dead," the nerd's smile vanished, killing intent radiating from her as she raised her hand, aiming for Dianne's chest.
"Tell… me… your name…" Dianne breathed heavily between her words, her black eyes fixed on the magician, unblinking, as if she didn't care whether she lived or died.
"Magician Hat's right-hand assistant, Vexra. Remember the name of your killer," Vexra replied, her brown eyes glinting dangerously.
"Vexra…" Dianne repeated. "It's… a good… name…"
"Thanks for the compliment, but that won't save you!" Vexra drew her hand back, preparing to strike the Sentinel princess's chest.
Dianne closed her eyes in acceptance. In the end, it was her own weakness that failed her, but she had already expected this outcome.
However, a sharp whistling sound suddenly pierced the air, causing their ears to tingle.
Vexra vanished from her spot, reappearing on the second-floor railing.
Dianne opened her eyes, noticing the magician was gone. Her attention shifted to the sharp shockwave trail in the air. Following the distorted line, she saw that one of the surveillance cameras had been destroyed, leaving a hole in the wall where it had been mounted.
"Hey! Are you okay?" Echo called out with 'worry' in his voice as he stood beside the Soul Absorber.
Dianne turned to the unfamiliar voice, looking up. "Yes," she answered, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she vomited blood.
"Your body says otherwise," Echo remarked. He bent down and gently propped her up against the cracked wall. "Rest here, and I'll protect you. Help will arrive soon, so I just need to stall for time."
"What's… your power?" Dianne asked weakly.
"I'm just a Normal Hero," Echo said with a confident smile, raising his gun and aiming it at the magician on the railing. "But I'm a genius."
"Are you two done?" Vexra glared at them, her burning eyes fixed on Maxwell, as if trying to kill him with a mere stare.
"Yes. Who are you?!" Echo asked, his finger ready on the trigger.
"You already know," Vexra's body was engulfed in light, and she reappeared a few meters away from them. A bullet flew through her previous spot, taking out another surveillance camera.
"You can't… defeat her…" Dianne coughed, blood spilling from her lips as her vision blurred.
"I'm not here to defeat her," Echo smirked. "Like I said, I'm just stalling for time."
Vexra let out a mocking laugh. "Then show me how you'll do that!"
Echo narrowed his eyes, his revolver letting out a mechanical sound as the cylinder began to spin.
Instead of teleporting, Vexra sprinted toward him, her speed so fast that she was almost instantly just a few feet in front of him!
With a bang, the black bullet shot from the muzzle in a flash!