Chapter 8 – Phantom Mirage: Shadows That Never Truly Existed

Morning light bathed the battlefield, but the tension hanging in the air weighed heavier than any stormcloud.

The sky was clear, yet a strange gloom loomed over the courtyard — a foreboding silence before chaos.

The wind carried fine dust across the cracked pavement, swirling around the four figures frozen in confrontation.

Selene took a bold step forward, fury burning in her eyes.

> "You bastard... KAEL! You have no right to stop me!"

Kael stood unmoved, clad in a black cloak and an emotionless steel mask. He said nothing — but the weight of his presence alone told the others that he wasn't just any ordinary threat.

> "Orders from above. You violated protocol. I'm taking over."

Selene's lips curled.

> "You think I'm afraid of you?"

With a sharp flick of her hand, wild magical energy spiraled around her arm.

> "False shadows, deceive sight and soul — Phantom Mirage!"

BOOOOM!

Hundreds of her clones erupted from thin air. Each one moved independently, seamlessly — a deadly swarm of illusions encircling Kael from every angle.

Hiro's breath caught in his throat.

> "Which one's the real her…?"

Satou stood beside him, sweat rolling down his cheek.

> "Bro... I seriously don't know. If I shoot the wrong one, I'll be the first to die."

The phantom army rushed forward, faster than the eye could follow.

And still, Kael didn't flinch.

> "Cheap tricks."

He slowly raised a single hand.

> "Void Reversal: Eclipse Shatter."

A ripple of darkness burst outward from his body.

CRACK!

CRACKK!!

CRAAAAASH!!!

The phantoms exploded like shards of glass under a sledgehammer. One by one, the illusions disintegrated into nothingness.

Silence returned to the field. Selene dropped to her knees, gasping for air.

> "Y-You… how do you know that technique…?"

Kael took a step forward, voice low but piercing.

> "I know all of them... because I created them."

> "I… am your teacher."

"Hey, Hiro, we should run—now!" Satou shouted, eyes scanning for danger.

Hiro nodded quickly. "Yeah, you're right, Satou!"

The three of them sprinted away from the chaos without looking back.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind. "Hey! Do you guys know those people?"

It was Toba, running after them.

Satou glanced back, confused. "Eh? How would we know them? And why are you running with us?!"

Toba smirked. "Because I've got business with Hiro."

Satou chuckled, laughing out loud. "What?! Hiro, don't tell me—you're a playboy now?!"

Hiro's face turned bright red as he scratched his head in embarrassment while running.

Kael glanced over his shoulder after defeating Selene.

"Huh? Where did those kids run off to?"

Meanwhile, inside the mall, Akira looked around and turned to Hanako.

"Hey Hanako, what are we even doing here?"

Hanako smiled confidently.

"This place is surrounded by some of the strongest mages in the area. If anything happens, they'll come to help us. This mall was actually built by my father."

Akira nodded slowly.

"That's good. In that case, we can use this protection to regroup and recover our strength before moving out."

After they entered the mall, a mysterious man appeared—dressed in a white coat, with wild green hair and a casual smirk on his face.

He extended a hand toward Aurelia.

> "Hey, Aurelia. Long time no see. You're looking healthy as ever."

Aurelia froze, her expression tensing instantly.

Mizuki, standing beside her, narrowed her eyes and asked cautiously,

> "Hey, Aurelia… do you know him?"

Aurelia nodded slowly, her gaze locked on the man.

> "Yeah… he's the leader of the Orcs. His name is Karash."

Akira's jaw dropped.

> "This guy… he looks like some kind of final boss from a video game."

Karash looked at everyone like they were beneath him. He spoke loudly and arrogantly:

> "Hey, you lowly humans. Hand over Aurelia."

Akira stepped forward, fearless.

> "Tch. You think I'm just gonna hand her over like that?"

Karash grinned wider.

> "In that case… I guess I'll have to be a little rough."

In a flash—BOOM!

A heavy punch slammed into Akira's stomach. He flew backward and crashed hard onto the floor.

Gasps erupted across the mall. The mages nearby immediately turned toward Karash.

> "HEY! What do you think you're doing to that kid?!" one of them shouted.

Karash shrugged like it was nothing.

Suddenly, a firm voice called out from the side.

> "Oh? Hanako? What are you doing here?"

Hanako turned and saw an elderly man in a flowing blue robe step out from behind a pillar. She smiled.

> "Uncle Kagami… we're being attacked by outsiders."

Kagami, one of the strongest mages guarding the mall, furrowed his brows.

> "WHAT?!"

He turned toward Karash, rage igniting in his eyes.

> "Hey, you bastard!!"

Karash slowly turned to face him.

> "Huh?"

Kagami stepped forward, followed by his crew—elite mages, each with burning fury in their eyes.

> "You dare lay a hand on Hanako…"

The entire mall shifted. Civilians began backing away, while hidden mages stationed throughout the mall prepared for battle.

Karash glanced around, raising both hands with a smirk.

> "Oi, oi, oi… are you kidding me? Why are there so many of you all of a sudden? Is this a mall or a battlefield?"

Akira slowly got to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

> "Oi, bastard… you think I'm done from just one lousy punch?" he growled, eyes burning with fury.

Karash grinned wickedly, licking his sharp teeth.

> "Oh? I thought you were dead. Turns out this little mosquito's still buzzing."

He glanced around — the mall's mages and guards were now surrounding him, their auras beginning to rise.

> "Tch... so many wannabe heroes showing up."

Karash clenched his fists, the muscles in his arms swelling — veins bulging like dragons writhing beneath his skin.

> "Fine then… I'll make the first move. Don't blame me when your bodies get crushed."

SAVAGE BURST!!

Karash lunged at the weakest mage nearby — unleashing a brutal explosion of raw power!

> A shockwave of muscle force erupted from his body — the floor cracked, the air quaked, and a wave of destruction blasted several nearby mages off their feet. Magical lights scattered as they failed to raise their defenses in time. Their bodies were sent flying like leaves caught in a storm.

"ARGHH!!" several magic guards screamed.

Hanako gasped. Kagami shouted, "Formation! All mages — focus on defense! Don't let him get through!"

Karash stood in the middle of the chaos, grinning wide, eyes wild with madness.

> "So… who wants to be the next victim?"

Hiro turned toward the mall, now erupting with explosions and screams.

> "Hey… sounds like chaos in there. Maybe Akira and the others are inside."

—

Meanwhile, in an alley not far away…

> "Damn it… where the hell did those brats go," Kael muttered, walking alone. His hair flowed in the breeze, eyes sharp as he scanned every corner.

Suddenly, he stopped. Standing in the middle of the road ahead was a chubby man, looking completely spaced out.

> "Oi, bastard. What the hell are you doing standing in the middle of the road?" Kael snapped.

The man turned slowly… Moruku.

> "WHAT?! What did you just call me?!"

But the moment he saw who was speaking, his face turned pale.

> "E-EH?! M-Master Kael?! Why are you… here?!"

Kael scoffed lazily. "Hey, fatass. Help me find those kids."

Moruku stammered, "Uhh… which kids exactly, sir?"

> "Tch. Figure it out yourself, bastard."

Inside, Moruku forced a smile and thought to himself:

> "Sure, sir… as long as you don't kill me…"