The crystalline fragments orbited Serath Kain, pulsating with a rhythm that matched the beating of a heart.
As Sang-hoon and Elena struggled to regain their footing, the ominous light cast sharp shadows across the Vault chamber.
"You've done well to come this far," Serath said, his voice calm but dripping with disdain.
"But you cannot stop what has already begun."
Before either of them could react, Serath raised his shadow blade and plunged it into the largest fragment, shattering it into smaller fragments.
A deafening roar echoed through the Vault as a surge of golden and black energy engulfed him.
The air grew heavy, crackling with volatile mana as Serath's form began to morph.
His humanoid frame twisted grotesquely, expanding into a towering figure cloaked in a swirling mix of shadows and golden light.
Horns jutted from his head, and his crimson eyes glowed with a fiery intensity. His hands transformed into clawed appendages, still gripping his shadow blade, which now pulsed with dark energy.
Sang-hoon, his breath ragged, whispered in dread, "The Heart of the Vault... The relic, a piece of the celestial dragon's heart, it was never meant to be used this way."
"You face Serath no longer," the figure intoned, his voice echoing with an otherworldly resonance. "You face Kaizareth, Scion of the Reaver."
Sang-hoon tried to rise, gripping his lance for support, but his limbs trembled from exhaustion.
Beside him, Elena barely held her spear aloft, her wounds bleeding freely.
"We can't—" Sang-hoon began, but Kaizareth raised a clawed hand, a wave of shadowy energy hurtling toward them.
Both barely managed to raise their weapons in defense, the impact throwing them across the chamber.
Sang-hoon's vision blurred as he collided with a relic pedestal, pain shooting through his side.
Just as Kaizareth advanced for the killing blow, a blinding bolt of ice struck his shoulder, forcing him to stagger.
"Get away from them!" Mira shouted, daggers gleaming as she darted into the chamber.
Behind her, her Arctic Lupin, unleashed a torrent of frost that momentarily froze Kaizareth's left arm.
Arden followed, his Saberwolf charging at the demonized Serath with fangs bared.
"Figured you would need backup assh*le," he sneered, though his expression was one of grim determination.
Seraphina entered next, her Phoenix blazing with radiant energy as it soared overhead.
"I'll keep them alive!" she called out, her hands glowing with healing magic as she rushed toward Sang-hoon and Elena.
A dozen other students and instructors followed, their beasts roaring and howling as they joined the fray.
Lady Orthea, instructor Roderick, professor Corvin and many more joined the battle.
The headmaster himself, an elderly man radiating power, stepped forward, his staff glowing with the combined might of fire and wind.
"Darien Velstrom," the director said, his voice steady but laced with indignation. "You have betrayed the Academy beyond forgiveness."
Kaizareth snarled, flexing his claws as his frozen arm shattered the ice binding it. "You think numbers will change your fate? The Reaver's will is absolute!"
The chamber exploded into chaos.
Beasts and tamers moved in synchronized formations, each strike coordinated to counter Kaizareth's overwhelming power.
Mira wove through the battle, her daggers flashing as she aimed for Kaizareth's weak points. Her Arctic Lupin flanked her, its frost slowing the demon's movements.
Arden's Saberwolf lunged at Kaizareth's legs, snapping at his ankles to disrupt his balance.
Arden himself hurled mana-infused bolts, aiming for Kaizareth's head.
The director chanted an incantation, conjuring a whirlwind of fire and wind that engulfed Kaizareth, forcing him back momentarily.
Kaelith leapt onto Kaizareth's back, releasing bursts of fire onto his twisted form. The little dragon's bravery was unmatched, though his attacks barely seemed to faze the demon.
Seraphina knelt between Sang-hoon and Elena, her hands glowing as she channeled healing energy into their battered bodies. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she worked to stabilize them.
"Stay still," she said, her tone firm but gentle, though it trembled with effort.
Elena's breathing steadied, but the gash on her side continued to bleed, only slowly beginning to close. She groaned as she sat up, her grip tightening on her spear. "I'm not done yet."
Sang-hoon felt strength returning to his limbs as his mana reserves refilled slowly.
He clenched his fists, glancing at Elena. "We can't let them handle this alone."
"No," Elena agreed, standing shakily. "We're finishing this."
Elena's Wyvern, guided by Mira, swooped into the chamber with a deafening roar.
It landed beside its tamer, its scales shimmering with a golden hue.
"About time you showed up," Elena muttered, stroking the beast's neck.
The Wyvern released a blast of golden energy, creating a protective barrier around Elena and Sang-hoon as they prepared to rejoin the fight.
Elena stepped forward, her spear glowing brighter than before. "Art of the Luminous Spear: Inscription Five—Radiant Cataclysm!"
A massive wave of light erupted from her spear, slamming into Kaizareth.
Taking advantage of the opening, Sang-hoon activated Shadowbane, the skill glowing fiercely as he charged.
"Shadowbane—Second Sequence: Luminous Rend!"
The lance's blade extended with radiant energy, striking Kaizareth's torso and sending him reeling.
Kaelith joined the assault, unleashing a torrent of flame onto Kaizareth's back, while the Saberwolf harried him from the sides.
"Now!" the headmaster commanded, raising his staff.
The combined efforts of the students, their beasts, and the instructors forced Kaizareth into a defensive position.
His glowing eyes flickered, his form unstable under the relentless onslaught.
But as the battle seemed to turn in their favor, a shadowy vortex began forming beneath Kaizareth, pulling him into its depths.
"You may have delayed me," Kaizareth growled, his voice resonating with dark power. "But the Reaver's will cannot be stopped!"
The vortex consumed him, and with a deafening roar, he vanished.
The chamber fell silent, the remnants of battle fading into the dim light of the Vault.
Sang-hoon collapsed to the ground, his lance clattering beside him.
Elena approached, her Wyvern standing protectively at her side. "It's over," she said, her voice grim.
The director nodded, his expression unreadable.
"No, it isn't. The Reaver's influence is spreading. And we must prepare for what's to come."