Dark Mission (3)

Varek stood tall, his body pulsing with two Mana Surges. The Bronze Mana radiated around him, his strength amplifying, his breath steady despite the pain.

Keiran groaned as he pushed himself up, his vision still spinning from Nevin's kick. Vikas did the same, clutching his arm, already preparing his ice magic.

But before they could fully recover—

"Tsk. You're too slow."

Two dark figures materialized in front of them.

The air grew colder, heavy with malice.

Standing before Keiran and Vikas were Axel and Braun—Rank 1 and Rank 2 of the Demon Servants.

Axel's Shadow Vault pulsed with eerie energy, his form surrounded by writhing shadow demons. Their glowing red eyes locked onto Keiran, snarling with hunger.

Braun, on the other hand, melted into the darkness itself, his body shifting and warping like a living shadow.

"You should stay down," Axel taunted. "It'll hurt less that way."

Keiran clenched his fists, his light mana flickering around him. "Not happening."

Vikas gritted his teeth, summoning ice along his arms. "We'll see who stays down."

Meanwhile, Varek kept his focus on Nevin, who still spun his shadow spear with a smirk.

"Two Mana Surges? Impressive," Nevin admitted, "but do you really think that will be enough?"

Varek didn't answer. He simply vanished.

Nevin's smirk vanished too—just before a fist slammed into his face.

The forest echoed with the clash of mana-infused strikes and the sharp crack of ice against shadows. Varek, Keiran, and Vikas fought relentlessly, their attacks precise, their defenses tight—but every time they gained ground, the shadow demons and potions from the support demon pushed them back.

"This isn't working!" Keiran yelled as his light-covered fist collided with Axel's summoned shadow beasts, only for more to rise in their place.

"Then we need to change tactics!" Vikas countered, dodging Braun's formless attacks. Every time he tried to hit Braun, the demon's body shifted like liquid shadow, making direct attacks useless.

Varek, still engaged with Nevin, gritted his teeth. "Then we take out the support first!"

But Nevin sneered, twirling his shadow spear. "Not so fast."

As the fight continued, exhaustion crept in. The longer the battle dragged on, the worse their situation became. Shadow-enhanced potions were keeping the demons at peak strength, while Varek and the others were slowly burning through their mana reserves.

Then, in the middle of the chaos—

A loud snap.

A gasp of pain.

The support demon stumbled forward, eyes wide in shock, a deep wound slicing across its back.

Standing behind it was Knox Cthul.

"Took you long enough," he muttered, pulling his blade free from the demon's back.

Axel, Braun, and Nevin all froze.

The balance of the fight shifted in an instant.

Without their support, the shadow potions stopped flowing. The demons' endurance wore down.

They were vulnerable.

Realizing this, the three remaining demon servants dropped their weapons.

"We surrender," Axel muttered, glaring at Knox. "You got us."

Varek, Keiran, and Vikas exchanged looks, breathing heavily.

Their battle was finally over.

Within the hour, the three demon servants were locked inside a reinforced cage, their powers sealed.

The sun had barely risen when Varek, Keiran, Vikas, and Knox found themselves on the road again. The weight of their last battle still clung to them, but there was no time to rest.

As they walked, a subtle rustling in the distance caught their attention.

Varek's instincts flared.

"We're being followed."

They stopped, turning their eyes to the treeline.

A figure stepped out.

Dicio Amicus.

His expression was unreadable as he walked toward them.

"Two months." His voice was steady but carried something deeper—exhaustion, maybe even frustration. "I've been tracking you three for two months now."

Varek narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Dicio sighed. "Because you need to know the truth."

The air grew tense.

"The professors and instructors who created the tournament..." He took a deep breath before finishing. "They're the ones who ordered the hunt against you three."

Silence.

Then—

"What?" Keiran's voice was barely above a whisper, but his clenched fists revealed his anger.

Vikas gritted his teeth. "Are you saying… that the school—the place we trusted—wants us dead?"

Dicio nodded grimly. **"You're not just runaways. You're targets. The tournament was a test, but not just for skill—they were watching for something else. Something dangerous."

Varek felt a cold chill crawl down his spine. "The Shadow Vault."

Dicio met his gaze. "Yes. They knew you had it, Varek. And they knew you'd awaken it sooner or later. That's why the hunt began."

Keiran stepped forward, his light mana flickering slightly. "Then what about you, Dicio? Why tell us now?"

Dicio exhaled. "Because I don't agree with them. And because..." He hesitated. "You're going to need my help. They're sending someone after you. Someone strong."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Varek looked at his two friends, then at Knox.

They all knew what this meant.

The hunt wasn't over.