Lucas: "Are you sure you can take on two mid-ranked Djinns by yourself?"
Dakota: "Oh, I'm not just sure I can take them on; I'm sure I can kill them."
Henry: "That's the confidence I like! That's why you're my rival!"
Dakota: "When did I become your rival…?"
Henry: "Ever since you beat me."
Dakota: "Fine, whatever." He sighed. "Let's just get this over with."
Dakota paused, muttering to himself. "I can't believe my own main character—the one I created—is my rival. How ironic."
Dakota: "Alright, let's go."
With that, both groups sprang into action.
The battlefield erupted into chaos. The sharp clash of blades and the deafening roar of explosions filled the air as the students faced off against their opponents.
Dakota was squaring off against two mid-ranked Djinns, and to everyone's surprise, he was not just holding his ground—he seemed to be overpowering them.
Dakota: "Is this all you've got, you dumbass Djinns?"
Djinn #1: "Damn it, how is he this strong?"
Djinn #2: "I know, right? How in the hell is an academy student doing this?"
Dakota: "It's because I've been training my ass off since childhood."
Before the Djinns could respond, Dakota darted forward at an incredible speed, catching them off guard. His blade flashed, and in a split second, one of the Djinns howled in pain as their arm was severed.
Djinn #1: "Argh! You little bastard!"
Djinn #2: "Damn you, human! We'll make sure you die for this!"
Dakota: "The only ones dying today are you two idiots."
As Dakota fought with calculated precision, the rest of the group was faring well. Even the weakest member was holding their own.
Lucas was relentless, nearly finishing off his opponent. Ava had her opponent at her mercy, clearly toying with them. Henry was delivering blow after blow, though he refrained from landing a fatal strike.
Liam and Jack were handling their Djinns with a combination of teamwork and raw power, while Mia and Luna seemed evenly matched with their respective foes.
Dakota glanced at Mia and Luna briefly. "I'll help them out once I'm done here."
Djinn #1: "You're not going to defeat us that easily, you damn monster!"
Dakota: "Monster, huh?" He smirked. "Being called a monster by a Djinn isn't much of an insult."
Djinn #2: "Monster or not, you're too strong for your age!"
Dakota: "I guess so. But my strength doesn't come from brute force alone—it's my knowledge. Without it, I wouldn't be standing here."
He readied his blade again, his expression hardening. "Let's end this. You're annoying pests."
Djinn #1: "Pests?! You arrogant little—"
But before they could finish, both Djinns exploded with rage and charged at him. Their attacks were wild and desperate, but Dakota sidestepped with ease, his movements a blur.
Dakota: "You two are slow."
In a heartbeat, Dakota closed the distance and delivered two precise strikes. The Djinns barely had time to react before their heads fell from their shoulders.
As their lifeless bodies hit the ground, the rest of the group took notice. Seeing Dakota's victory ignited a newfound determination in everyone else. One by one, they began defeating their own opponents.
Lucas dealt a finishing blow to his Djinn, while Ava ended her fight with chilling efficiency. Henry pummeled his opponent into submission before finally delivering a clean strike. Even Amelia, who had been silent throughout the battle, dispatched her foe with swift precision.
However, Mia and Luna were still struggling.
Dakota: "I'll help Mia, and you help Luna," he called to Henry.
Henry: "Got it."
Without wasting another moment, Dakota and Henry rushed to their respective targets. Dakota's sword struck true, severing the head of Mia's opponent, while Henry dispatched Luna's adversary with a single decisive blow.
Dakota: "You two alright?"
Mia: "Yeah, thanks for the help, Dakota."
Luna: "Same here. Thank you, Henry."
Henry: "No problem."
Dakota: "It's nothing. Let's move—we still have to help the other students. The teachers can handle themselves."
The group began cutting through the remaining Djinns, avoiding any humans who had been caught up in the invasion. After an hour of intense fighting, the battlefield finally fell silent. All the Djinns had been defeated, and the human collaborators were captured.
Dakota: "Phew, finally done."
Henry: "Yeah, we stopped the invasion. Feels good, doesn't it?"
Dakota: "So, what now?"
Amelia: "We should check on Principal Edward."
Dakota: "Good idea."
The group made their way to where they'd last seen Edward. He was still there, kneeling beside the unconscious body of his friend, Lance.
Dakota: "Principal Edward, are you alright?"
Edward: "Ah, yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking, Dakota."
Dakota: "What about your friend?"
Edward: "Lance… I'll figure something out."
Edward picked up Lance's body and turned to leave.
Edward: "I'll be busy handling the aftermath. You all did well. Goodbye."
The group watched him go before turning to each other.
Dakota: "Alright, now that we're done, we should all head home."
Henry: "Actually, why don't we celebrate?"
Dakota: "Another celebration? Didn't we just have one last month after rescuing Ava and her brother?"
Henry: "Yeah, but this is different! We stopped an invasion!"
Dakota: "Ah, fine," he said, sighing in defeat.
---
After some convincing—and a lot of persistence from his friends—the group decided to celebrate at Dakota's house.
---
Standing in front of his home, Dakota turned to the group.
Dakota: "Alright, are you all ready?"
Everyone: "Yes!"
Ava: "Did you let your parents know we're coming?"
Dakota: "Yeah, they've been preparing. Let's go in."
Inside, Dakota's parents greeted the group warmly.
Mother: "Welcome, everyone! I hope you don't mind the mess."
The house was spotless, but Maria's perfectionism always got the better of her.
Father: "Welcome! Let's get this celebration started!"
As the group settled in, the warmth of camaraderie and the relief of their hard-fought victory filled the air. For the first time in days, they allowed themselves to relax, enjoying each other's company as the night stretched on.
And this would be their first time celebrating at Dakota's house, out of many times.