Chapter 16: Clash of Convictions

The air reeked of magic and smoke.

Broken benches. Uprooted trees. Scorched stone tiles cracked under the weight of tension, the remnants of a battle that was far from over.

Elzure stood in the courtyard, licking the blood from a thin slash across his cheek. It shimmered like molten rubies, refusing to fall, as if the wound itself was a badge of honor rather than a sign of weakness.

"A good warm-up," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. "But I came for the Hermit, not a pampered prince."

Kael gritted his teeth. His sword, humming with ancestral energy, dimmed slightly, but the light in his eyes remained undimmed. His grip tightened around the hilt, his knuckles turning white.

"I won't let you go any further," Kael declared, his voice unwavering, but the toll of the battle was evident in the way he stood—unsteady, wounded, and barely able to maintain his stance.

Elzure's smile twisted into something crooked, something unnerving. "Then die here."

BOOOOOM!

Elzure's aura exploded outward in an earth-shattering shockwave. The sheer force of the blast sent Kael soaring through the air, his body tossed like a ragdoll, crashing violently into one of the sturdy stone pillars that lined the courtyard. Dust and debris clouded the air, and for a moment, there was nothing but silence.

"PRINCE KAEL!" a student screamed, their voice shrill with panic.

But Kael didn't stay down. He rose, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, sword still clutched tightly in his hand. His eyes burned with defiance, refusing to give in.

Behind the pillar…

"Okay, new plan," Rayan whispered urgently, his voice barely audible. "Let's stay extra background. Like, background of the background."

Yeon, as pale as frost, held his spoon like a dagger, his knuckles white. "If the world ends, I'm haunting this Academy. Seriously."

Tonio, ever the pragmatist, calmly flipped open a small notebook. "Kael's reaction speed is impressive… but Elzure hasn't even drawn a weapon yet. This is bad. Very bad."

Cezar cracked his knuckles, an eager grin lighting up his face. "We should jump in. This is a fight worth jumping into. There's no way I'm sitting this one out."

Rayan grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back. "Bro. I say this with love. We will be one-shot. Do you see that guy? He's barely even sweating."

Suddenly, a low hum filled the air.

It wasn't magic.

It wasn't steel.

It was something deeper, something that echoed through the very fabric of the world.

Everyone turned.

From Rayan's waist, his katana—SWORD GOD EXCALIBUR (working title)—began to rattle in its sheath. The sound was faint at first, but it quickly grew louder, vibrating with an intensity that shook the air around them.

"Uh…" Rayan blinked in disbelief. "Why is my sword vibrating like a microwave on steroids?"

Tonio's expression shifted to one of rare concern, his brow furrowing. "It's reacting to him."

Yeon squinted toward the bell tower, his senses tingling. There—just for a brief moment—a silver-scaled figure stood watching them from the shadows.

The Dragonoid.

And then—FWWSSH!—he was gone. Vanished in the blink of an eye.

Courtyard Duel

Kael, not waiting for a single moment to spare, charged again—this time faster, his movements blurring as sacred wind wrapped around his body like a shield. He was a blur of light and speed as he lashed out with his blade.

ZING! ZANG! The sounds of metal meeting metal rang through the air as Kael's sword clashed against Elzure's invisible defenses. His strikes were fierce, each one landing with the weight of the sun itself.

But Elzure dodged effortlessly. His movements were a mockery of Kael's. Almost lazy. His crimson eyes watched every move, every attack, with the indifference of a predator toying with its prey.

"Not bad," Elzure mused, his voice low and condescending. Then, in an instant, he disappeared, his form becoming nothing more than a blur.

Kael's eyes widened. "Where—?"

CRACK!!!

A downward heel kick smashed into Kael's back before he could react. The force sent him crashing into the ground with a deafening boom, the earth beneath him cracking like glass. The impact left a crater the size of a small house, and Kael's body was buried halfway inside it, blood spraying from his mouth as he coughed, struggling to regain his breath.

"UAGH!" Kael's roar was a mixture of pain and defiance.

"No more holding back!" Kael shouted, his voice a battle cry, raw with fury. His blade glowed with a blinding light, and suddenly, wings of ethereal flame erupted from his back. His aura tripled, growing in intensity until it seemed as though the very heavens themselves were backing him.

"Ancestral Technique: Sunlight Requiem!"

A beam of pure, blinding light shot up into the sky before descending with unimaginable speed, its heat causing the air around it to warp and shimmer. The ground itself seemed to tremble as the beam began its descent, a celestial force that could obliterate anything in its path.

Elzure raised a single hand, his expression unchanged.

He caught it.

Caught the beam.

With one hand.

The beam crackled and sizzled as it struggled to break free of Elzure's grip, but it was futile. With a dismissive grunt, Elzure punched through the beam as though it were made of paper. The force of his strike caused a shockwave that tore the ground apart, shattering it into jagged pieces, sending stones and debris flying in all directions.

Meanwhile… the Idiots

Rayan ducked behind a pillar, his wide eyes fixed on the destruction. "Okay, that's it. I am done being humble. He caught a SUNLIGHT BEAM with ONE HAND?! What kind of monster is that?!"

Yeon, shaking from the sheer magnitude of it all, muttered under his breath, "I'm done being alive."

Tonio, cool as ever, simply nodded. "I've revised my will."

Cezar, who had been watching with a grin, looked at Rayan and said, "We're entering the fight."

Rayan stared at him, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to process the words. "What?! NO. Did you not see what just happened? This guy—he just defied the laws of nature!"

Cezar was already moving, a wild gleam in his eye. "Then let's tag-team. One distracts. Two flank. One prays."

Yeon, clutching his spoon like it might protect him, groaned. "I call dibs on prayer."

Rayan hesitated, his gaze flickering from Kael—who was barely standing, bloodied and bruised—to Elzure, who seemed to grow stronger with every passing second.

"...Damn it," Rayan muttered. He unsheathed his katana, the Timeless Blade, its form gleaming under the fading light.

The air snapped.

A pulse of energy shot through the ground, rippling outward like a wave. But this wasn't just any magic. It was something deeper, something ancient and primal.

A pulse of lightning—no, not just lightning. Something far more powerful, far more dangerous. The very air around Rayan seemed to crackle with raw potential.

The Dragonoid, watching from the distance, grinned, his silver-scaled form half-hidden in the shadows.

"There it is," the Dragonoid whispered, almost to himself.

And so, the true battle began.

Courtyard Aftermath

Kael's blade trembled. His sacred wings flickered, barely holding their form. His breath came ragged, blood dripping from his lips.

Elzure stood unscathed, brushing dust off his crimson coat. His expression? Bored.

"Hah…" he sighed, stretching his neck. "You were entertaining. For a minute."

He walked forward, slow and unhurried.

Kael tried to stand tall—but his legs betrayed him.

Elzure raised a hand.

"Don't worry, Prince. I'll let you live."

Kael's eyes widened.

Elzure smirked. "You're not the one I came to kill."

He turned away.

Just like that.

Above the Bell Tower...

The Dragonoid landed.

Silent. Stoic. Silver scales glinting like moonlight.

Rayan and the others froze.

Tonio whispered, "That's not an ordinary observer."

Yeon: "We're in an anime betrayal arc, aren't we?"

Cezar: "No one move. This is about to get serious."

Elzure stopped.

His eyes narrowed as he sensed the Dragonoid's presence. The wind grew still.

"You..." Elzure muttered. "I thought I smelled rotting nostalgia."

The Dragonoid stepped forward. His voice was like thunder behind a waterfall.

"Elzure. General of the Crimson Legion. Still toying with children?"

"And you..." Elzure smiled thinly. "Still pretending to be a guardian beast when you're just a shiny lizard with daddy issues."

Their auras clashed before they moved. Two realms colliding.

Clash of Fates

In a flash—

BOOOM!

They collided mid-air. Fists met claws. Energy erupted across the courtyard. Trees uprooted. Stones cracked. Magic failed.

No words. Just chaos.

They knew each other's rhythm.

Each move perfectly countered.

Because they once trained together.

Memories in the Dust

A flashback surfaced between strikes.

Two young boys—one silver-scaled, the other horned with crimson eyes—laughing beside a waterfall.

They fought side by side.

Dreamt of exploring the world.

But their races—Demons and Dragonoids—tore them apart. War broke out. Trust shattered.

The Dragonoid never forgave Elzure for joining the Crimson Legion.

Elzure never forgave the Dragonoid for siding with the ancient pact.

Now, fists cracked jaws. Wings tore through air.

Final Exchange

Elzure's flames clashed with the Dragonoid's storm breath. The sky split open.

"You were my brother once!" the Dragonoid roared.

"I was never your brother," Elzure snarled. "I was your equal. And you chose to kneel."

They both bled. Neither yielded.

Then—

A sudden pulse in the sky.

A black and red portal tore open. Demonic sigils spiraled outward.

Elzure staggered. A voice echoed from the void:

"GENERAL ELZURE. RETURN. THE KING SUMMONS YOU."

He cursed under his breath. "Tch. Another time, then."

To the Dragonoid, he said nothing.

Only a look—a flicker of memory behind rage.

Then he vanished into the portal. Gone.

The Dragonoid

The Dragonoid stood still, panting.

A crack opened in the sky above him. A golden glyph.

His kind, too, called him back.

He looked toward Rayan—who still held his katana.

And then upward.

Toward the horizon where the Timeless Blade slept.

Another day.

He vanished.

Silence

The battlefield calmed. Trees stopped swaying. Stones ceased shaking.

Rayan finally spoke.

"...That... was a lot."

Cezar nodded. "We just witnessed two ancient powerhouses go full anime betrayal."

Tonio looked at the cracked sky. "They hate each other... but something still connects them."

Yeon wiped his forehead. "Please tell me this school has therapy."

End of Chapter 16