Chapter 15: Hellion Commander

The academy grounds were quiet. The combat trials had ended, and most students had gone home, yet Kai Takashi still lingered.

He leaned against the training field's railing, eyes locked on the sky where the Black Hole Rift pulsed ominously.

"They're watching."

He could feel it—that same unsettling presence that had been lingering ever since his encounter with the Rift Champion.

A chill crawled up his spine.

Luna's voice cut through the silence. "Are you just going to keep staring at the sky, or do you actually have a plan?"

Kai grinned, turning to face her. "I like to keep things spontaneous. Keeps life interesting."

Luna folded her arms, her violet eyes sharp. "We both know things aren't going to stay 'interesting' for long."

Kai sighed dramatically. "You're really killing my whole carefree vibe, Cherry Blossom."

Before Luna could retort—

BOOM.

The ground trembled violently. The air crackled with an unfamiliar energy.

Luna's breath caught. "That… wasn't an earthquake."

Kai's eyes narrowed. "No. That was an arrival."

A piercing alarm rang through the academy.

"EMERGENCY ALERT! MASSIVE RIFT DISTURBANCE DETECTED!"

Students and faculty poured into the courtyards, their faces etched with confusion and fear.

And then—

The Black Hole Rift shuddered violently.

A new tear opened in the sky, and from its depths, a figure descended.

Luna's stomach twisted. "No way…"

It was a Hellion.

But not just any Hellion.

This one wore midnight-black armor, jagged and unnatural, with veins of glowing red energy running through its body. A massive greatsword rested on its back, its hilt engraved with runes of an unknown language.

Its eyes burned with intelligence.

It wasn't just a monster.

It was a commander.

The Hellion Commander.

An Unstoppable Foe

The Hellion Commander landed with a deafening crash, its presence suffocating.

Every student around the training field froze, paralyzed by an unseen force.

Luna instinctively gripped her arcane spear, stepping closer to Kai. "This one's different."

Kai's eyes flickered. "Yeah. No kidding."

The Hellion Commander slowly lifted its head, its glowing crimson gaze locking onto Kai.

"Kai Takashi."

A chill ran down his spine.

"You are marked."

Kai frowned. "Geez, you guys really know how to make a guy feel special."

The Hellion Commander did not react.

Instead, it raised a clawed hand, and the pressure in the air tripled.

Luna gasped, struggling to stay on her feet.

Students collapsed to the ground, unable to breathe.

Even Kai felt it—the overwhelming weight of this Hellion's presence.

The Commander wasn't just here to fight.

It was here to break them.

The First Strike

The Hellion Commander moved.

One second, it was standing across the field—

The next, it was right in front of Kai.

Kai barely had time to react before a massive fist collided with his gut, sending him flying across the training field.

He crashed into a building, the force of the impact shaking the academy.

Luna's heart lurched. "Kai!"

Kai coughed, wiping blood from his lip. "Alright. Ow."

The Hellion Commander turned to Luna next.

Its crimson eyes pulsed, and in an instant, it swung its massive blade toward her.

Luna's instincts kicked in.

She raised her spear, summoning a barrier of pure light—

But the blade cut through it effortlessly.

Her eyes widened. What?!

She barely managed to dodge, but the force of the attack still sent her skidding backward.

Kai groaned, pushing himself up. "Okay. New plan. Maybe don't let it hit us."

Luna shot him a glare. "Oh, great strategy, genius!"

The Hellion Commander didn't give them a chance to regroup.

It charged forward, its blade crackling with Rift energy.

Kai exhaled. "Alright, big guy. Let's see if you can keep up."

He vanished.

In a blink, he reappeared behind the Hellion, his energy blade humming as he slashed at its exposed back.

The blade made contact.

And then—it shattered.

Kai's eyes widened.

The Hellion Commander turned its head slightly, unfazed.

Then, it swung its sword at Kai.

Kai barely dodged in time, feeling the searing energy graze his arm.

Luna rushed forward, her spear glowing with divine energy.

"Move!" she shouted.

Kai rolled to the side, just as Luna unleashed a burst of holy fire at the Hellion Commander.

The flames engulfed its body.

For a brief second, she thought it worked.

Then, the flames dispersed instantly.

And the Hellion Commander was completely unharmed.

Luna's blood ran cold.

"It's immune…?"

The Hellion Commander slowly lifted its blade again.

"Insufficient."

Kai clicked his tongue. "Well. That's annoying."

Luna gritted her teeth. "Kai, we can't beat this thing!"

Kai rolled his shoulders. "Never said we had to."

Luna blinked. "Wait—what?"

Kai suddenly lunged forward, closing the distance between himself and the Hellion Commander recklessly fast.

Luna's eyes widened. What the hell is he doing?!

The Hellion Commander swung down, its sword ready to cleave Kai in two.

Kai smirked.

"Gotcha."

And then—

He dropped to the ground, sliding beneath the attack at the last second.

In one fluid motion, he slammed his palm onto the Hellion's chest—

And unleashed a surge of blue lightning.

The energy didn't attack the Commander.

It disrupted it.

For the first time, the Hellion Commander stumbled backward.

Luna gasped. Kai found its weakness?!

Kai cracked his knuckles. "So, you're all-powerful until someone messes with your Rift energy, huh?"

The Hellion Commander stared at him, its red eyes narrowing.

Then, to their shock—

It smirked.

Luna froze. "It's… learning."

Kai frowned. "That's not good."

The Hellion Commander's energy spiked violently.

"Analyzing… Adapting… Countering."

Kai sighed. "Oh, great. Now it's getting serious."

Luna gripped her spear. "What do we do?"

Kai exhaled. "Only one thing left to try."

Luna blinked. "And that is?"

Kai grinned.

"We run like hell."