With a furious roar, Corvin raised his arms, summoning a swirling vortex of dark energy. The ground trembled beneath our feet, and the sheer force of his magic bore down on us like a tidal wave, pressing against my chest like I was suddenly underwater. Every instinct in me screamed to move, to act before this situation spiraled out of control.
"Lucius!" Dorian's voice barely cut through the howling winds of magic. "We need to take him down, now!"
I nodded, even though I wasn't sure Dorian could see it. My heart hammered against my ribcage, adrenaline surging through me as I stared up at Corvin, his form barely visible through the swirling mass of dark energy. This was it—do or die. The kind of moment that would go down in history. Or, you know, end in the world being eaten by a demon.
"One way or another, this fight's gonna change everything," I muttered, tightening my grip on my sword.
Corvin's maniacal laughter echoed across the academy grounds, a sharp contrast to the groaning earth beneath our feet. The cracks in the ground were growing wider, the air heavy with the scent of ozone and something darker, something ancient. Urzan. I could feel it now, the pull of its presence beneath the surface, like a monster lurking just below the water, waiting to strike.
"Guys… we've got a serious problem here." I glanced at the others. Dorian, Claire, Leon, and Fiona—each of them looked just as tense as I felt, but there was something else there, too. Determination. Fear hadn't won yet.
"He's trying to summon it, isn't he?" I muttered, though the answer was obvious. My voice sounded small against the howling winds of magic, but I gripped my sword tighter anyway. I needed to stay focused. "Urzan."
Dorian's jaw clenched as he stepped forward, standing beside me. His fists crackled with energy, ready to strike. "Corvin wants to unleash a high-rank demon? He's insane."
"Insane or just really into evil DIY projects," I quipped, trying to keep things light even though it felt like we were standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for the drop. My heart thudded against my ribs as I forced myself to keep a steady breath. Tension clung to the air like static before a lightning strike. "Honestly, you'd think he'd start smaller. Maybe summon a lesser demon for practice."
I could feel the others trying to hold onto that same sliver of normalcy, each of them gripping their weapons, spells charged and ready to fire, but Corvin wasn't going to make this easy.
Corvin's laugh cut through the chaos like the crack of a whip, sharp and grating, and it sent shivers down my spine. He stood there on the academy roof, a towering figure surrounded by swirling dark magic, his eyes gleaming with a manic intensity that made it clear he was past the point of reason.
"You fools!" Corvin's voice boomed, amplified by the dark magic swirling around him. "You can't stop me now. Urzan will be free, and this academy will be the foundation of a new world order!"
"Okay, now he's going full Saturday morning cartoon villain," I muttered under my breath. "Somebody get this guy a new scriptwriter."
Before I could throw another quip into the mix, a sudden flare of magic burst from Corvin's hands, sending a shockwave of energy rippling through the air. The ground beneath us trembled violently, and I stumbled, barely keeping my balance as the cracks in the earth widened, dark energy seeping out like some malevolent force trying to claw its way to the surface.
"He's accelerating the summoning!" Fiona shouted, her voice tinged with urgency as she raised her hands, arcane magic already swirling around her fingertips. "If he keeps this up, Urzan will break through any minute!"
Leon stepped forward, his expression grim but determined as his hand crackled with lightning. He narrowed his eyes at Corvin, locking onto the dark mage like a hawk circling its prey. "We can't let him finish this."
"No kidding," I said, raising my sword as the weight of the situation pressed down on us. I could feel the magic swirling around Corvin, thick and oppressive, like a storm cloud threatening to burst at any moment. "Claire, Dorian, Fiona, you ready?"
Dorian flashed a grin, though his eyes were steely. "Always."
Fiona gave a sharp nod, already focusing her magic as the air around her shimmered with arcane energy. "Let's end this before it gets worse."
Claire's sword was already drawn, flames dancing along the blade as she stepped up beside me. Her expression was calm, but there was a fire in her eyes that mirrored the magic she wielded. "I've got your back, Lucius."
Just as we braced ourselves to launch the attack, a sudden wave of heat washed over us, like standing too close to a bonfire. From the shadows of the courtyard below, a group of second-year students emerged, and leading them was someone I hadn't expected to see.
Lilith von Ruriel—Red Phoenix Spellblade Order, 4-star mana core, and a reputation for being terrifyingly good with fire magic. Her fiery red hair blazed as brightly as the flames that flickered around her, and the confident smirk on her face made it clear she knew exactly what she was doing.
Lilith's voice rang out over the chaos as she stepped forward, her fire element blazing in full force. "Looks like our juniors could use a hand," she said, raising her hand as fire flared to life in her palm. The flames twisted and danced, reflecting the fiery determination in her eyes. "Leave some for me, alright?"
Relief washed over me, though I tried to hide it behind a smirk. "Don't mind if we do," I replied, tightening my grip on my sword. Reinforcements. This was exactly what we needed.
Lilith wasn't the only one, either. Behind her, a group of second-year students, each wielding a different element, stood ready for battle. Fire, ice, wind—all of it roared to life as they prepared to join the fight.
It was about to get real.
With Lilith and her crew joining the fray, the battle quickly escalated. The air was alive with magic—flames roared, wind howled, and lightning split the sky as we all charged toward Corvin. But he wasn't backing down. With a crazed grin, he raised his hands, summoning another wave of undead to block our path.
"Zombies again?" I groaned, slicing through the first one that lunged at me. "Seriously, man, get a new hobby."
"I think summoning Urzan qualifies as a new hobby," Fiona said dryly, blasting a group of undead back with a pulse of arcane energy.
Fair point.
As we fought our way toward Corvin, the ground trembled again. This time, though, it wasn't just the weight of his spell—it was something far worse. I could feel it, a deep, primal energy rising from the cracks in the earth. Urzan was coming.
Suddenly, a bright crystal shimmered in the distance, and I knew exactly who had just arrived. Isaac Mavis, our S Rank Class instructor, materialized at the edge of the battlefield. His 7-star mana core gleamed as his crystal-element magic flared to life, sending shards of energy toward the undead.
Isaac's calm voice cut through the chaos. "Focus on Corvin! I'll handle the situation here. Urzan cannot be allowed to fully manifest."
"Glad to see you, Isaac!" I shouted over the noise, ducking under an incoming blast of dark energy. "Feel like stopping a demon today?"
Isaac's gaze flicked toward me, and for a split second, I thought I saw a faint smirk. "That's the plan."
With Isaac handling the undead and ensuring the safety of the students, the rest of us pressed forward. But Corvin wasn't letting up. His dark magic swirled around him like a storm, feeding into the cracks that were already leaking Urzan's presence into the world.
"He's getting stronger," Leon muttered, his wind and lightning elements crackling around him.
"We can't give him time to finish the spell," Claire added, fire blazing in her eyes as she charged toward Corvin, her sword igniting with a furious blaze.
I followed close behind, swinging my own blade as it hummed with dark energy. The darkness that had swirled around me during our previous fight was still there, coiled inside me, waiting to be unleashed. It felt dangerous, but at this point, danger was the least of my problems.
Corvin raised his arms again, and a dark vortex began to form above him. "You're too late!" he howled. "Urzan will rise, and there's nothing you can do to stop it!"
"Yeah, about that..." I grinned, channeling the dark energy I'd absorbed earlier into my sword. The blade pulsed with shadows as I swung it, slicing through the vortex with a burst of power. The vortex wavered, and for a moment, Corvin's eyes widened in shock.
"You—!" he sputtered.
"Me," I said with a smirk, stepping forward. "And now it's time to shut you down."
But as I took another step, the ground beneath me cracked open, and a massive clawed hand erupted from the earth. It was Urzan. The demon's form began to materialize, dark and grotesque, its eyes glowing with an eerie, malevolent light.
"Well," I muttered, staring up at the demon that was currently pulling itself out of the ground. "That's... not good."
Dorian appeared at my side, eyes wide. "You think?!"
"We need to push him back!" Fiona shouted from behind, her arcane magic flaring as she tried to contain the demon's rising power.
Corvin laughed, his voice a twisted mix of triumph and madness. "Too late! Urzan is free! You can't stop me now!"
The demon roared, and the ground shook violently as Urzan tore his way into the world. The sheer force of his presence sent shockwaves through the battlefield, knocking several students back.
I gritted my teeth, feeling the pull of the dark energy inside me. I could fight this. I had to.
"Claire, Leon!" I shouted. "We need to hit him with everything we've got!"
Leon nodded, his hand crackling with lightning as he and Claire rushed forward. Claire's sword blazed with fire, and the two of them combined their attacks, sending a torrent of flames and lightning toward the demon.
Urzan roared again, swatting at the incoming attacks with massive claws. He was powerful—too powerful. Our attacks weren't enough.
"Isaac!" I called out, desperation creeping into my voice. "We need your help!"
Isaac's crystal magic flared again, and he hurled a barrage of crystal shards toward the demon, aiming for the cracks in Urzan's form. The demon howled in rage, but it wasn't enough to stop him.
"We can't keep this up forever!" Dorian shouted, his mana reserves clearly dwindling.
I knew he was right. We were running out of time, and Urzan was getting stronger by the second. There was only one option left.
"I'll have to use it," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.
"Use what?" Claire asked, her voice tight with exhaustion.
"The dark energy I absorbed earlier," I said, gripping my sword tighter. "I can use it to push Urzan back... but it might not be pretty."
Dorian frowned. "Lucius, that's too dangerous."
"Yeah, well, so is letting a demon eat the academy," I shot back. "I'll be fine."
Without waiting for further argument, I stepped forward, focusing on the darkness within me. It surged up, hungry, eager to be unleashed. I could feel it coiling around me, seeping into my sword, amplifying its power.
"Alright, Urzan," I muttered, raising my blade. "Time for you to go back where you came from."
With a roar, I charged forward, swinging my sword with all the dark energy I could muster. The blade struck Urzan with a resounding clash, and for a moment, everything went still.
Then, with a deafening explosion, the demon's form shattered, the dark energy dispersing into the air. Urzan was gone.
I stumbled back, gasping for breath. The darkness inside me had receded, but it had left me drained, teetering on the edge of collapse.
"Lucius!" Fiona rushed to my side, her eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I muttered, swaying slightly. "Just... took a lot out of