Final test Part: 6 (Kevaughn P.O.V)

Chapter 12

Chevelle watched the screen with mild amusement, her arms crossed as she leaned back in his chair. Thai and Jhai sat beside her, sharing equally entertained expressions.

"He's more efficient than Lee," Thai remarked, tapping her fingers on the desk.

"He is," Jhai agreed, "but how did he superheat the air without any type of temperature manipulation?"

"You already read through their files?" Chevelle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I am one of the heads of Logistics, after all. I'm surprised you haven't, President," Jhai teased, smirking.

"What can I say? I was busy," Chevelle replied nonchalantly.

"Hmm hm, anyway, any thoughts, Prez?" Jhai prompted.

Chevelle gave him a knowing look. "I'm surprised you of all people missed it."

"Missed what?" Thai and Jhai asked in unison.

"There was a small ball of Shaheem's flames above the clearing," Chevelle explained.

"What?" Thai blinked in disbelief.

"Think back. Didn't you see a faint purple glow over the clearing?" Chevelle asked, smirking at their dawning realization.

"That's absurd," Thai muttered. "The temperature needed to superheat the air and maintain that level of control in such a small space… that would require a teacher's level of skill. Or a—"

"A student council member," Chevelle finished, her voice tinged with satisfaction.

Thai and Jhai exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

"Oriane knows how to pick his friends," Jhai said between chuckles.

"It's Oriane. What did you expect?" Chevelle replied with a shrug.

"Fair point," Thai said, her amusement still evident.

Jhai's gaze shifted back to the screens displaying the test. Her eyes lingered on another screen showing Kevaughn in action.

"It makes me wonder what his other friends are capable of," Jhai remarked thoughtfully.

Kevaughn strolled through the forest, seemingly unaffected by the chaos of the test surrounding him. The distant sounds of explosions and shouts echoed through the trees, but he paid them no mind. His sharp green eyes scanned his surroundings, always alert despite his relaxed demeanor.

He came to a halt at the base of a tall tree, his gaze locking onto a flag nestled on one of its high branches. A small smile crept across his face as he crouched slightly before leaping toward the branch.

As Kevaughn's hand reached for the flag, an unseen force slammed into him, sending him flying backward into a tree. The bark cracked and splintered from the impact.

"Huh?" Kevaughn muttered, pulling himself out of the tree. He brushed off his clothes, his smile returning as he eyed the flag.

Jumping back onto the branch, he reached for the flag again, only for his hand to snap to the left, catching someone's throat midair.

Kevaughn's gaze shifted to the person struggling in his grip—a girl with short auburn hair and determined blue eyes. She wore a sleeveless top and dark cargo pants, her expression defiant despite her predicament.

"Ah, celerokinesis," Kevaughn said, his tone calm and almost amused. "Speed manipulation. That's not something you see every day."

The girl wriggled in his grip, her voice strained as she shouted, "Guys, now!"

From the surrounding trees, three more figures leaped toward Kevaughn.

The first was a tall boy with dark brown skin and short dreads, wielding a crystalline sword that glimmered in the light. He wore a simple black shirt and jeans, his eyes locked on Kevaughn.

'A crystal manipulator,' Kevaughn thought, calculating the boy's movements in an instant.

To his right, a girl with wavy black hair tied back in a ponytail rushed toward him. Her hands glowed red, molten lava dripping from her palms. She wore a sleeveless red top and black leggings.

'A lava manipulator,' Kevaughn noted.

Above him, a third figure descended—a lean boy with pale skin, messy black hair, and cold gray eyes. Shadows swirled around him, forming jagged tendrils. He wore a gray hoodie and dark cargo pants.

'And a darkness manipulator.'

Kevaughn released the speed manipulator, letting her drop to the ground as he vanished in a blur. He reappeared behind the crystal manipulator, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the ground with enough force to create a small crater.

In another instant, Kevaughn appeared above the darkness manipulator, delivering an axe kick that shattered the branch beneath him, sending the boy plummeting to the forest floor.

Before the lava manipulator could react, Kevaughn appeared at her side, delivering a backhanded strike that sent her crashing into a nearby tree.

Kevaughn landed gracefully on the forest floor, dusting his hands off as he turned his attention back to the speed manipulator. She was attempting to flee, her movements a blur, but Kevaughn intercepted her effortlessly, reappearing in front of her with his hand once again around her throat.

"That was a neat little strategy," Kevaughn said, his tone light yet condescending. "Using your speed—Mach 1, I'd say—which is impressive, by the way. Then when that didn't work, you had the rest of your team attack all at once. Not bad."

The girl gasped, her defiance faltering. "But… you miscounted," she choked out.

Kevaughn's sharp green eyes flickered as his gaze snapped to the left. An invisible force slammed into him, sending him flying into another tree.

Kevaughn groaned softly as he pulled himself out of the shattered bark, his eyes narrowing as a pale girl stepped into view. She had stark white hair, piercing red eyes, and alabaster skin. She wore a black long-sleeved top, gray cargo pants, and combat boots.

'That hair, those eyes, that skin… Vector manipulation,' Kevaughn thought, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Miss Madison, I presume," he said, brushing off his clothes. "I assume you were the mastermind behind that plan?"

Madison tilted her head, her expression neutral. "What gave you that idea?"

Kevaughn chuckled. "Vector manipulation gives you many advantages, including computational abilities that surpass most supercomputers."

Madison's eyes widened slightly at his observation.

"Don't look so surprised," Kevaughn continued. "Your physical traits gave it away. White hair, red eyes, pale skin—all signs of an automatic vector barrier reflecting UV rays at birth. But I'm curious… how good are you really?"

Madison's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Why don't you find out?"

Kevaughn vanished, reappearing above Madison in a flash, aiming a sharp drop kick at her. Yet, Madison stood motionless, her expression calm. Kevaughn's leg connected with an invisible force, sending him rebounding into the air as though he had struck a solid wall.

"What—?" Kevaughn muttered as he flipped mid-air, landing gracefully.

Madison glanced up, her hands coming together in a slow, deliberate motion. With a sharp pull apart, arcs of lightning sparked between her palms, crackling with raw energy. She hurled the bolt at Kevaughn without hesitation.

'Using the vectors to manipulate the electrons in the air to create lightning. Clever. But let's see if that's all she has,' Kevaughn thought, a smirk tugging at his lips.

As the lightning bolt approached, Kevaughn released a burst of destructive energy from his body, dispersing the attack effortlessly. He landed, but the moment his feet touched the ground, two more bolts of lightning shot toward him.

'She's not letting me breathe,' he noted, darting backward to dodge the twin strikes. 'She's smart—using range to her advantage since she knows I'm faster than her.'

As Kevaughn shifted his stance, his sharp eyes caught a faint glimmer in the air—tiny sparks floating near the ground.

'Got you.'

"Dust explosion," Kevaughn muttered, his grin vanishing. "Shit!"

The ground erupted in a fiery explosion, shaking the area and cloaking the scene in a thick cloud of smoke and debris.

"Madison, did you get him?"

"Yeah," Madison replied, confidence lacing her voice.

"Did you really?" came a voice from behind.

Madison and her teammate spun around, their eyes widening in disbelief. Kevaughn stood casually behind them, unharmed. His clothes were pristine, not a single burn or tear marring his appearance.

"How did you—?!" Madison began, but her voice faltered.

"Afterimages, my friend," Kevaughn explained, his grin returning. Before they could react, he vanished again.

In the blink of an eye, Kevaughn reappeared before Madison, hurling a glowing orb of destructive energy at her vector barrier. The sphere was roughly the size of a basketball, its pulsating light reflecting off the invisible shield.

"You can't get through my barrier like that," Madison said, her voice steady despite the strain of holding the barrier.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Kevaughn replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes as the orb began to shrink, condensing into a marble-sized point.

'What is he doing? How is he…?!' Madison's thoughts raced as the tiny orb started piercing her barrier.

"You see," Kevaughn began, his tone almost conversational, "vector barriers are tough but not invincible. All barriers have weaknesses. Apply enough force to a single point, and it breaks. Pair that with my kinetic manipulation, and… well."

With a final surge, the marble-sized orb broke through the barrier. Once inside, it began to glow ominously. Kevaughn leaped back, leaving Madison no time to react.

'No,' she thought, panic flashing across her face.

The orb detonated, releasing a controlled yet devastating explosion. Dust and debris filled the air as the force rocked the clearing.

When the dust settled, Madison lay unconscious on the ground, her clothes torn and her body showing signs of exhaustion. Kevaughn stood over her, impressed. He gave a small nod of approval before turning his attention to the trembling speed manipulator, Myra, who stood frozen nearby.

"You," Kevaughn said, his voice calm yet commanding.

"Y-yes?" Myra stammered, clutching the flag tightly.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"M-Myra," she replied.

"Well, Myra," Kevaughn said with a faint smile, "consider yourself and your team lucky. You get to keep your flag."

Without another word, Kevaughn turned and walked away, his hands casually slipping into his pockets.

Kevaughn continued strolling through the forest, his mind wandering as a contented smile graced his face. Suddenly, a gust of wind slammed into him, hurling him into a nearby tree.

As the dust cleared, five students stepped into view, their expressions a mix of confidence and determination.

Kevaughn chuckled, brushing himself off as he faced them. His emerald-green eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Listen," Kevaughn began, his tone almost friendly. "I'm in a very good mood right now, so let's make this simple. I'm going to defeat all of you in three seconds."

One of the students stepped forward, scowling. "Do you really think you can—"

Before he could finish, the group collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Kevaughn glanced down at them, his smile widening. "Hmm. Well then, it seems that was four seconds. Oh well."

With a lighthearted chuckle, he continued on his way, leaving the defeated team behind as the chaos of the test unfolded around him.

Chapter 12: End